HORSHAM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RightCare Solutions, Inc. has been selected by Fox Chase Cancer Center—Temple Health to enhance its care transitions process and ensure oncology patients receive the type of post-acute care best suited to their individual needs. The agreement allows Fox Chase to streamline its patient care workflow, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.
Unlike any other health care software, RightCare uses an evidence-based algorithm paired with patient-specific psychosocial information to determine risk for readmission and an associated need for post-acute care. RightCare is enhancing its algorithm with oncology-specific evidence generated by the Fox Chase analytics team to best serve their cancer patients across the care continuum.
“Early risk assessment and communication with downstream nurse navigators, primary care providers (PCPs), and post-acute partners are critical to improving patient care transitions,” said James Helstrom, M.D., MBA, Chief Medical Officer at Fox Chase Cancer Center. “RightCare’s workflow-oriented solution allows us to more effectively manage our provider network, resulting in better patient outcomes while being sensitive to cost.”
Although quality takes top priority, cost of cancer care is a growing concern. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimated in 2011 that the direct medical costs for inpatient U.S. hospital stays for cancer were $31 billion – 35 percent of the overall $88 billion cancer spend that year.
But overall costs can be reduced by better assessing patient needs in the post-acute setting as well. The oncology-specific tuning of RightCare’s algorithm further enhances the software’s predictive power and risk assessment capabilities. The algorithm’s recommendations engine then provides clear insight as to the optimal next level of care, ultimately reducing unnecessary post-acute costs while improving the patient experience. And as bundled payments are applied to cancer care, such technology will become necessary for hospitals to successfully manage their financial risk and benefit from bundles.
In the initial phase of the partnership, Fox Chase will leverage RightCare’s software to help patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
About RightCare
RightCare is a Philadelphia-based medical technology company that helps hospitals and health systems reduce readmissions and optimize post-acute care delivery. RightCare's software identifies the risk and needs for all patients at admission, matches patients to the right level of post-acute care and applicable community-based services, connects seamlessly to post-acute care providers, and engages patients directly with personalized care plans. The company's proprietary technology was developed through a decade of research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. For more information, please visit www.RightCareSolutions.com or follow us on Twitter at @TeamRightCare.
About Fox Chase Cancer Center
Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of the Temple University Health System, is one of the leading cancer research and treatment centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence four consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. For more information, call 1-888-FOX CHASE or (1-888-369-2427). - See more at: http://www.fccc.edu/
