Playback Health and Northwell Health sign multiyear deal to launch patient engagement platform at clinical sites across health system

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Playback Health, a software technology company dedicated to helping care providers build deeper, more meaningful connections with their patients, and Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health care provider, today announced a multiyear agreement to launch Playback’s patient engagement platform at select locations across the health system. Playback’s software technology empowers patients by supplying them with medical information that they can revisit, replay and share with others, enabling them to better understand their condition or treatment and more fully engage with their care.

Playback is built on the recognition that patients often have trouble digesting and remembering information provided during medical visits, especially when a clinician is sharing a stressful diagnosis or complex care plan. To help patients hear, absorb and understand, the platform provides information that is curated by providers from the medical record. Clinicians can create personalized care instructions using video, audio, pictures, and text to communicate a patient’s diagnosis and care plan clearly and compassionately. For example, a clinician can include a video in which he or she displays an MRI image or other test result and explains what it indicates about the patient’s condition.

“Playback digitally connects providers, patients and families to the point of care so everyone can hear first-hand what the doctor said. All the information is there, and you can replay it as many times as you like,” said Gregory Odland, CEO and cofounder of Playback Health.

In addition, Playback video calling allows clinicians to directly connect with their patients, to check on how they’re feeling or for a telehealth consult. This capability also allows clinicians to touch base with others on the care team. All moments are captured and available for viewing anytime, anywhere, by the patient and their care team.

With a rich user interface and robust integration, Playback’s software is purpose-built. It is designed to promote mobility and sharing of point-of-care medical data and information captured in a hospital’s electronic medical record and patient portals or from third-party medical devices, while adhering to strict security standards for health information.

“Our patients have found it incredibly helpful to be able to refer to their doctor’s comments. They told us that Playback also made it much easier for them to share information with family and other providers,” said Kimberly Rusnack, director of patient care services/rehabilitation at Northwell’s Glen Cove Hospital, where Playback was used in a pilot program earlier this year. “Because our physical and occupational therapists had such a terrific experience with Playback, we’re now including our nurses on the platform.”

“At Northwell, we understand that many of the most troublesome problems in health care come down to lack of communication,” said Richard Mulry, president and CEO of Northwell Holdings and Ventures, the entrepreneurial arm of the health system, which is leading the rollout of the Playback platform across Northwell. “We are excited by the opportunity to develop and roll out this innovative, scalable technology that takes doctor-patient communication to a new level. Based on the results of pilot programs at Glen Cove Hospital and other sites around the health system, we are confident it will improve not just the experience of patients in and out of the doctor’s office but ultimately the quality of their care.”

About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 22 hospitals, 830 outpatient facilities and more than 16,600 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 77,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Playback Health
Playback Health is a mobile platform designed to humanize the healthcare experience. Providers, patients, and loved ones are able to receive, replay, and share health information with the people who need to know. Playback Health was incubated and backed by Northwell Ventures. To learn more, visit www.playbackhealth.com.