DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals, today introduced Healthgrades CareChatsTM, a digital solution that allows patients and providers to communicate between visits.
The new offering, created in partnership with Conversa, provides hospitals and providers the ability to engage and support patients using text and email messaging, in a cutting-edge chatbot conversational experience. CareChatsTM initiates conversations with enrolled patients about their condition management, provides encouragement and education, sets health goals and tracks progress. At launch, CareChatsTM are available for chronic condition management, pre and post-surgery, lifestyle health coaching and personal development. Year-long conversations were created by professional writers and reviewed by physicians to ensure a conversational tone and clinical relevance.
CareChatsTM integrates seamlessly with the Healthgrades CRM platform, giving hospitals and health systems the data insights to connect with and interact with patients most likely to benefit from using this technology. It also engages providers automatically when intervention is required and encourages patients to book an appointment online or call the office directly.
“Most consumers see their doctor a few times per year, but between these visits, a lot of life happens,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “Communicating with patients between visits really gives providers a glimpse into their lives-- about who they are, where they live, and how they live. CareChatsTM is a significant step forward in clinical communication that will help better educate, engage, support and motivate patients to achieve better health, using a conversational approach.”
Hospitals take advantage of CareChatsTM to communicate with patients
Several leading hospitals and health systems across the country have already enabled CareChatsTM through Healthgrades.
In one pilot program, Ochsner identified patients who had uncontrolled hypertension and trained primary care physicians at their system to “prescribe” CareChatsTM to these patients. Participants logged into their secure Ochsner patient portal to begin using CareChatsTM. In real time, CareChatsTM gave patients the option to pull in their personal medical information to tailor their conversation.
“Patients are avoiding unnecessary and time consuming visits, so participation in this program has a natural incentive,” said Rich Milani, MD, Chief Transformation Officer, Ochsner Health System. “We are pleased to work with Healthgrades to enable this technology, which is valuable to patients and to our system as a whole, and has given us the ability to build even stronger relationships with our patients.”
A program developed by Penrose St. Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs, Colo., which has been named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 10 consecutive years, also uses CareChatsTM to engage with patients, in a pilot the system designed in 2016 as a digital health coach.
“Consumers are demanding improved health outcomes, increased service, and convenience. With new digital communication tools, we can provide members with a meaningful experience that helps improve health behaviors via a platform they’re increasingly comfortable with,” said Margaret Sabin, President and CEO, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services.
Citrus Valley Health Partners also uses CareChatsTM as another important tool in their efforts to improve patient outcomes by engaging patients on a consistent and timely basis. CareChatsTM has been an essential component in their efforts to meet requirements for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) bundled payment program for both total hip and total knee replacements.
"We are excited to partner with Healthgrades and see so many leading health systems using The Conversa Conversation PlatformTM to improve the provider - patient relationship,” said West Shell III, Co-founder, CEO, Conversa. “Utilizing sophisticated logic and intelligent patient profiling technology, Conversa systematically helps organizations monitor, communicate and manage patient populations more efficiently than ever before. Based on the market’s feedback, it’s become clear that Healthgrades and Conversa are at the center of transforming how patients and care teams communicate.”
Learn more about how hospitals partner with Healthgrades.
About Healthgrades
Healthgrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Today, more than one million people a day use the Healthgrades website to search, compare and connect with hospitals and physicians based on the most important measures when selecting a healthcare provider: experience, hospital quality and patient satisfaction. For more information about Healthgrades, visit http://www.healthgrades.com or download the Healthgrades iPhone app.
About Conversa
As the healthcare industry’s leading conversation platform, Conversa’s innovative, scalable, and reliable technology delivers an easy and meaningful way for providers and patients to communicate. With Conversa, healthcare organizations can deliver smart, automated patient conversation experiences that are patient profile driven, and lead to more informed and meaningful patient relationships, efficient population management, and ultimately, better clinical and financial outcomes. For more information, visit conversahealth.com.
