How Online Bariatric Seminars Can Improve Patient Acquisitions and Outcomes Written by SQHealth-admin on May 24, 2017. Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Convert. The Right Healthcare Webinar Tools Can Help New Weight Loss Surgery Patients Meet Their Bariatric Surgery Requirements It’s likely that if you are reading this, you already know the importance of bariatric seminars for prospective and new weight loss surgery patients. Although not a federal regulation, bariatric surgery seminars are often considered a requirement by insurance companies before they will authorize the procedure. For years, bariatric surgery centers have conducted on-site seminars to advise new bariatric patients about what to expect before and after bariatric surgery, which often provides bariatric patient education for: • the pre-surgical process • dietary and fitness regimens • surgical options • the recovery process • various post-surgery/next-steps programs Further, in-house bariatric seminars provided new weight loss surgery patients an opportunity to meet the center’s bariatric surgeons. More recently, online bariatric surgery seminars have been offered as an alternative to in-house seminars. Not only does this enable bariatric surgery centers to offer more options for new weight loss surgery patients to attend seminars at times and locations that are more convenient, but it also improves efficiency for busy bariatric surgeons and staff. [poll id=”7″] The adoption of online bariatric seminars has occurred during a time when online videos have become easier and more affordable to produce—which is very attractive to bariatric surgery centers. However, the advantages can quickly be diminished if the online bariatric surgery seminar is hosted as an online healthcare Webinar with any number of online video streaming apps like: • YouTube • Facebook • Google Hangouts • Vimeo • Periscope Although these are adequate for sharing general bariatric patient education and bariatric surgery center marketing videos, they have some critical deficiencies when used for required bariatric surgery seminars. This is particularly true in the context of using them as alternatives to dedicated, pro-quality learning management systems (LMS) and Webinar software. Some key reasons include: • Tracking: It’s impossible (or difficult at best) to precisely track which new patients actually attended the bariatric seminar. Although YouTube and others provide basic analytics about users (e.g., geography, platform, visit length), they don’t capture the specific information needed to confirm a patient’s attendance or comprehension of the information presented. Yes, there are workarounds—for instance, patients can leave a comment, which could indicate when they watched the weight loss seminar, however, it requires them to also have user handles that make them easily recognizable—which is far from optimal. • Poaching: Social media-driven online video platforms like YouTube are highly aware of a channel’s content, which enables it to recommend other videos and display banner advertisements. The obvious problem is those videos and advertisements will likely come from competing bariatric surgery centers, potentially leading your lead to another program’s content. Further, any user comments are viewable by competitors, which further enables them to potentially poach your hard-earned new patient leads. • Privacy: Virtually any discussion about healthcare information and patients requires some mention about privacy, and online bariatric surgery seminars are no exception—especially if patients are sharing any personal information about themselves so that they can verify they attended a presentation. The process of acquiring new bariatric patients and providing bariatric patient management from surgery through recovery is a challenging and complicated one—and one where a decision about the real value of free or inexpensive weight loss seminars tools versus professional bariatric patient engagement solutions must be carefully considered. However, specialized bariatric patient engagement tools that have online bariatric seminar capabilities can quickly show a return on investment (ROI) by increasing bariatric patient acquisition rates and improving bariatric surgery outcomes. Kris Altiere is Sequence Health’s Director of Marketing and Creative. Please contact us to learn more about how Sequence Health can partner with you to develop a successful bariatric online seminar.
Driving Long-term Engagement is Key to Increasing Bariatric Surgery Volume Written by SQHealth-admin on February 3, 2017. Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Connect. What if there was a cure for diabetes but only 1% of the patient population even knew about it? And what if out of the people who were aware of it and sought more information from healthcare providers, only 15% ended up receiving it? That would no doubt be considered a national healthcare crisis. Stakeholders like advocacy groups, insurers and the Centers for Disease Control would want to know why patients were not receiving lifesaving therapy. Identifying and eliminating hurdles to receiving that care would quickly become a top priority for clinicians and healthcare systems. The Struggle to Convert Bariatric Surgery Candidates A feeling not dissimilar to this was present at the Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery’s 2017 Annual Meeting in Dallas last week. Bariatric surgery providers repeatedly expressed frustration at their astonishingly low conversion rate: only 15%. That means that 85% of the patients that express an interest in the surgical therapies that can help them control obesity and comorbidities like high blood pressure, diabetes, and severe sleep apnea, never end up receiving surgery. There are even more patients that aren’t measured because they don’t initiate information seeking. Let’s start with the patients that ask about the surgery but fall out of the funnel before converting. It’s understandable when you consider how lengthy the path to surgery can be. The average amount of time that passes between first considering surgery to undergoing it is three years. Those are also not idle years where patients are simply waiting for a date to open up; the path to bariatric surgery is complex and riddled with insurance pre-approvals, medical and psychological evaluations, and lifestyle changes that patients must commit to. Failure in any of these areas results in patients not receiving the surgery that can greatly improve their overall health. Read more : Bariatric Surgery Seminars: Online vs. In-Person How Insurance and Accreditation Impact Patient Access In addition, most hospitals in Texas are within miles of each other, competing for the same patient. I spoke with hospital administrators with bariatric programs that, although accredited by MBSAQIP, did not meet certain standards for insurance carriers, like BCBS Blue Distinction or Aetna IOQ. In one particular case, I learned that the hospital I was speaking with had to refer out 30%, or 35 of their bariatric cases to a competing hospital because the patients were members of an insurance plan that required the insurance’s ‘seal of approval,’ and you can bet that the competing hospital was accredited by the insurance provider. Of course there will be patients who start the process, only to realize they either can’t afford surgery or don’t qualify for surgery. But the number is far fewer than most coordinators realize, and they would know that if they tracked all of their leads. Also, there are alternative ways to keep these patients engaged, motivated, and help them achieve their desired goals, like offering a weight loss medicine program, non-invasive balloon procedures, or by offering discounted procedures with financing options for cash pay patients. Read more: A Guide to How to Verify Insurance Eligibility & Benefits The Challenge of Managing the Patient Journey Bariatric surgery coordinators are responsible for helping move patients through the process, but they are largely operating with hands tied behind their backs. Most of them are using simple Excel spreadsheets to keep up with patient progress. They know that this is inadequate for driving engagement and leading patients through a journey full of milestones, education, and paperwork. I heard the frustration again and again throughout the conference. This is one of the holes in healthcare (and frankly, EMRs) that led us to develop Sequence and a major reason we exhibited at the TABS meeting. Tracking patient engagement and measuring outcomes through a care episode is becoming a top concern for many healthcare providers as payers move to value-based reimbursement programs — but for bariatric surgeons, moving patients through an exceptionally long and complicated funnel is key to ensuring that they receive treatment in the first place. Turning Awareness Into Engagement What about the potential patients who never make it to the information seeking stage? The same principles that start with intent and successfully guide patients through the care journey from pre-op all the way through recovery can also be used in initial marketing. It’s a matter of supplying the best education at the right time, which is almost impossible to do with spreadsheets alone. Moving patients from “I’ve heard of bariatric surgery,” to “It sounds like it might be right for me,” is a marketing journey that is driven by the same methodologies that move patients from intent to conversion: well-timed education, engagement, and follow-up with outcomes that can be measured and quantified at every touchpoint. Done correctly with the right technology solution, managing the journey from awareness to intent effectively boosts conversion rates and shortens that three year timeline to receiving surgery. Improving Outcomes With Better Patient Management Bariatric surgery is moving quickly, with new procedures evolving and better long-term success rates. Providers are quite aware that one of the simplest ways to improve outcomes and increase the volume of surgeries they perform is to more effectively manage patients and guide them through the entire funnel. As Sequence Health’s Regional Sales Director, Nathan McCormack ensures that new clients are paired with patient management and healthcare marketing solutions that support their objectives. Please contact us to learn more about how Sequence Health can partner with you to give you the power to dramatically boost patient engagement and measure outcomes today.
Sequence Health to Present Health IT and Improved Patient Outcome Talk at HIMSS 2017 Written by web_developers on February 1, 2017. Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Company Overview. This year has already been an active one in regards to our participation at healthcare-related conferences, and there’s even more to come! Two weeks ago we were in Newport Beach, California for the American College of Perioperative Medicine’s Interdisciplinary Conference on Orthopedic Value Based Care, and last weekend we were in Dallas for the Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery’s 2017 Annual Meeting. After having tremendously positive experiences at those events, we are now shifting our focus to HIMSS 2017 in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center, February 19–23, 2017. We will be demonstrating our SaaS patient management platform Sequence and engaging with healthcare industry professionals to gain expert insight about innovative ideas and best practices in improving health through IT. Although we are always excited about exhibiting at conferences and other related events, we are especially enthused about HIMSS 2017 for two reasons. First, it’s simply a big deal for healthcare IT companies like ourselves. Spanning five days, it will host an estimated 40,000 guests (including 1200 exhibitors) and present approximately 300 sessions. Which leads to the second reason: We will be a presenter at one of those sessions! Exploring Health IT and Increasing Surgical Procedures and Outcomes [tweet “I will deliver a 20-minute talk, ‘Increase Surgical Procedures and Outcomes with Sequence’…”] I will deliver a 20-minute talk, Increase Surgical Procedures and Outcomes with Sequence (Saturday, Feb. 22 from 12:30–12:50 p.m. ET / Session ID CH37). In it, I will share how hospitals and medical practices have utilized our end-to-end patient engagement solutions to improve outcomes by optimizing the patient journey throughout the care continuum. There has never been a more crucial time to explore this concept. Considering that the five-year long trial of Comprehensive Joint Replacement program’s bundled payments is not even a year old and the uncertainty surrounding the future of healthcare policy with the newly elected administration (which we discussed in How Might Repealing Obamacare Affect Medicare Reimbursements?), many healthcare providers have not begun learning how to best comply with these changes (which I recently addressed in Three Key Metrics To Control Post-Acute Care Costs And Optimize CJR Reimbursements). Recommended “Government Sessions” at HIMSS 2017 For that matter, we’re eager to check out many of the HIMSS 2017’s “Government Sessions” where experts and colleagues at all levels of government on health IT-related public policy initiatives will examine the new Administration and its impact on health and health IT. These sessions are only a fraction of what is on the schedule, and the following are among intriguing to us: • Health Information Technology – Enabling Joint Readiness (Monday, Feb. 20 from 10:30–11:30 a.m. | Session ID: 11) • HIPAA Privacy, Security – Lessons from 2016 and What’s Next in 2017 (Monday, Feb. 20 from 10:30–11:30 a.m. | Session ID: 9) • Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) Health IT Policy Update (Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 8:30–9:30 a.m. | Session ID: 66) • State Officials Panel: Health IT Across the States (Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 8:30–9:30 a.m. | Session ID: 72) • Overcome Challenges/Obstacles to Achieving Interoperability (Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 10–11 a.m. | Session ID: 86) • Congressional Forum (Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 10–11 a.m. | Session ID: 87) • MIPS: Advancing Care Information and Improvement Activities (Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 1–2 p.m. | Session ID: 111) • Efforts to Assist Providers and Patients In Using Health IT for High Quality Care (Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 10–11 a.m. | Session ID: 158) • Keynote Speaker: John Boehner (Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 8.30–10 a.m.) John Richmond is Sequence Health’s CEO. Please let us know if you’d like to schedule some time to meet with him and our team at HIMSS 2017 to learn more about our patient engagement solutions to improve outcomes.
Easy Ways Your Bariatric Surgery Center Can Support American Heart Month in February 2017 Written by web_developers on February 1, 2017. Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Connect. Although we provide patient management solutions for all types of hospitals and clinics, a significant percentage of partners are bariatric surgery centers. With February being American Heart Month, we thought it would be best to position our tips for supporting American Heart Month in the context of bariatric surgery center marketing and patient management—however, they can easily be used by general healthcare providers and many other specialties or centers of excellence. [tweet “…tips for supporting American Heart Month in the context of bariatric surgery center marketing…”] Linking Bariatric Surgery, Diabetes and American Heart Month It is not hard to connect the dots between bariatric surgery, diabetes and promoting heart health in conjunction with American Heart Month. But don’t just take our word for it! For instance, the American Heart Association last year published a release, Bariatric Surgery May Reduce Heart Failure Risk, in which it found bariatric surgery “can significantly reduce the risk of heart failure in obese patients.” It further explained that the “reduced risk of heart failure may be due to bariatric surgery’s effects on other risk factors of heart failure, including diabetes, hypertension and atrial fibrillation.” The American Diabetes Association is quite aligned with the American Heart Association’s position. According to its Living With Diabetes Web guide for related complications, “people with diabetes have a higher-than-average risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Additionally, it said “there’s a big link between diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. In fact, two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke, also called cardiovascular disease.” Promote Your Bariatric Surgery Center’s Heart Health Programs Your bariatric surgery center likely already has programs, online content and print collateral that advocate lifestyle improvements that can directly or indirectly improve heart health. For example, the National Health Information Center’s American Heart Month Toolkit offers several suggestions, including: • Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke • Controlling cholesterol and blood pressure • Drink alcohol only in moderation • Better weight management Create a Branded Blood Pressure Wallet Card (and Other Great CDC Ideas) Speaking of print collateral, the Centers for Disease Control’s Strong Men Put Their Hearts First page provides a wealth of ideas and resources for supporting American Heart Month. One of their standout resources invites guests to print and distribute a CDC-branded blood pressure wallet card for tracking blood pressure. This is a superb concept for bariatric surgery center marketing teams to create their own branded versions—and to perhaps improve upon with input from your bariatric surgeons and nurses! Bonus tip: Do a small-batch print run that mentions American Heart Month and give these out in February and then do another run for the rest of the year. Any extra American Heart Month versions can be saved for next year! Go Red for Women! Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. Its Get Involved page shares multiple ways that your bariatric surgery center and its patients can show support, including an opportunity to join a heart disease research study. Use Social Media for #AmericanHeartMonth Awareness Along with using social media to share and find useful information related to American Heart Month (including trending hashtags such as #cervicalhealthmonth and #goredforwomen), it’s also an excellent opportunity to expand your networks. For instance, if you don’t already, here are some worthy Twitter accounts you might want to follow: • @American_Heart, the official Twitter page for the American Heart Association • @GoRedForWomen, the official Twitter page for Go Red For Women • @MillionHeartsUS, the official Twitter page for Million Hearts, a national initiative to prevent one million heart attacks & strokes Not sure what to write in your Tweets? Healthfinder.gov has created a list of American Heart Month sample tweets that can get you in the right direction! Sequence Health proudly supports American Heart Month. For more about our company and our patient management platform Sequence, please contact us.
Meet New Core Standards for MBSAQIP Accreditation with Solutions from Sequence Health Written by web_developers on October 19, 2016. Posted in Bariatric Surgery. The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) released version 2.0 of their Bariatric Accreditation Standards as of October 1, 2016. These standards set the core benchmarks critical for achieving success as a bariatric surgery center. Whether you are one of the 700 previously-accredited facilities, you’re working toward becoming accredited, or you’re simply striving to provide the highest quality care, newly released updates to these core standards should affect how your facility is managing patients and processes. Studies show facilities meeting these standards greatly reduce the risk of serious post-discharge complications, including mortality. Watch the October Webinar On Demand for an In-Depth Look at Sequence As A Solution View the Updates: 9 standards now defined by MBSAQIP: 1. Case volume, patient selection, and approved procedures by designation level 2. Commitment to quality care 3. Appropriate equipment and instruments to care for at-risk patients with special needs 4. Critical care support 5. Continuum of care 6. Data collection 7. Continuous quality improvement 8. Ambulatory Surgery Centers 9. Adolescent care Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of version 2.0 including the addition of new definitions and clarification throughout the document that are meant to ensure consistent interpretation of the following updates: You will notice some newly recognized categories, including Ambulatory Surgery Centers and Adolescent Care. You can visit the MBSAQIP website for more information about those newly identified standards including the addition of Ambulatory Surgery Center as a designation and removal of Band Center designation. Most significantly, accreditation for Ambulatory Surgery Centers is separate from the fully accredited inpatient metabolic and bariatric comprehensive and low acuity centers and requires partnership with an inpatient MBSAQIP-accredited center to ensure continuum of care. This new designation requires compliance with standards 1-7 in addition to the new Standard 8 requirements specifically defined for Ambulatory Surgery Centers. Perioperative Care Pathways are required by MBSAQIP to close the loop, using data to identify opportunities for Quality Improvement and Process Improvement initiatives. Each accredited facility is required to identify and implement strategies for continuous improvement. Redefined guidance for data-driven Quality Improvement and Process Improvement initiatives. [Meet New Core Standards for MBSAQIP Accreditation with Solutions from Sequence Health] Discover how Sequence allows you to optimize the patient experience throughout the care continuum. The platform allows you to define configurable care pathways according to your steps of care. Data and analytics viewed through the Sequence reporting feature let you identify where improvements can be made. The Sequence Care Transition feature provides post-operative follow-up engagements to identify and manage patients at risk for adverse reactions within the required 30-day and long term follow-up periods. Sequence Health is your solution for achieving success in your bariatric program. LOOK FOR SEQUENCE HEALTH AT OBESITY WEEK AT BOOTH 726! Contact us today to learn more about our unique approach to medical innovation. Sequence Health Phone: 888.986.3638 Email: [email protected]
Bariatric Surgery Center Accreditation: A Life or Death Decision Written by Jeff Tormey on July 29, 2016. Posted in Bariatric Surgery. Evidence Shows MBSAQIP Accredited Bariatric Surgery Centers Offer Significantly Less Risk of Complication Life-changing bariatric surgery is performed more than 179,000 times each year in bariatric surgery centers across the United States. Although CMS lifted mandates requiring these centers to obtain accreditation through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) in 2013, a recent groundbreaking study shows a significant advantage for patients choosing an accredited center. “Accredited bariatric surgical centers provide not only safer care but also less expensive care,” said Dr. John Morton, chief of bariatric and minimally invasive surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine. “Even though we use little incisions, it’s still a big operation. Accreditation indicates that a bariatric surgical center has the resources and experience in place to take care of any complications that may potentially occur.” Dr. Morton and Stanford colleague Dan Azagury, MD, reviewed 13 studies published between 2009 and 2013 including eight studies that showed accredited facilities reduce the odds of having a serious post-discharge complication by 9 to 39 percent. The study further showed that the risk of post-operative mortality was low in accredited facilities, however the risk was 2.26 to 3.57 times higher at a non-accredited facility. MBSAQIP Accreditation, Private Insurers, and the Future for Medicare Patients The clear results of the study show significant benefits for the more than 700 bariatric surgery centers currently accredited by the program. With the release of these unprecedented findings comes confirmation that private insurers are placing value on patient outcomes by requiring they choose an accredited facility. As CMS continues to align alternative payment initiatives with value-based, outcomes-driven care it is likely they will revisit the issue of accreditation for bariatric surgery centers, possibly reversing the 2013 decision to lift the requirement for Medicare patients. New MBSAQIP Standards Effective October 2016 The MBSAQIP will be presenting a new accreditation Standards Manual 2.0 in October of this year. Take a sneak peek at the new manual and register to attend the Sequence Health August webinar for additional details on tools to ensure you meet these new standards, including patient engagement strategies from Sequence Health. Sequence as a Solution to Satisfy Requirements of Accreditation Sequence offers best-in-class patient engagement solutions throughout the patient experience. The following core standards for MBSAQIP accreditation fall into the three stages of the patient experience managed using Sequence Health’s suite of solutions featuring the Sequence platform. Patient Acquisition Core Accreditation Standards: 1. Case volume, patient selection, and approved procedures by designation level 2. Commitment to quality care Patient Management Core Accreditation Standards: 3. Appropriate equipment and instruments to care for at-risk patients with special needs 4. Critical care support 5. Continuum of care Patient Retention and Results Core Accreditation Standards: 6. Data collection 7. Continuous quality improvement Sequence Health‘s solutions are designed to manage the relationships among the patients and care team members while also managing the workflows associated with each stakeholder along the patient’s journey to better health. Ask about: • Digital marketing services including SEO and PPC campaigns • Healthcare-specific website design, development, and hosting • Online Seminar video production and hosting • Lead Intake Forms configured to capture details necessary to convert leads to patients • Customizable Patient Intake Forms that provide detailed information about the patient from the initial onboarding stages and allow care team members to identify and assess patient data and manage risks from the beginning of the patient and provider relationship • Dedicated Medical Call Center and 24/7 NurseLine to support patients and assist care teams • Messaging, reporting and engagement functionality to keep multidisciplinary care team members aware of real-time updates to the patient’s status, including critical care needs Sequence cloud-based patient relationship and performance-optimizing workflow management platform featuring: 1. Configurable care pathways, customizable permissions settings for care team members, Care Transition module for post-discharge follow-up and risk mitigation, and complete patient engagement strategies throughout the care continuum 2. Integration with an organization’s existing IT infrastructure and EMR technology to provide real-time contextual views of patient data, allowing care teams to continue to modify the care plan to ensure optimal quality outcomes Call today to assess your readiness to comply with MBSAQIP accreditation standards and learn more about the patient engagement and outcomes management advantages offered by the Sequence Health suite of solutions. Register today for the next webinar in the Sequence Health series. Webinar Topic: Sequence Is Your Patient Engagement Solution Host: Hayley Kenslea Date: Thursday, August 11, 2016 Time: 2:00 PM EST Learn more about Sequence Health by calling 888.986.3638 or visiting our website at https://www.sequencehealth.com.
Three Qualities Patients Look for when Selecting a Bariatric Surgeon Written by web_developers on December 10, 2014. Posted in Bariatric Surgery. No Comments on Three Qualities Patients Look for when Selecting a Bariatric Surgeon During the debate over healthcare legislation a few years ago, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a series of polls asking Americans a variety of questions regarding healthcare, including what they look for when selecting a surgeon for an important procedure, like bariatric surgery or an orthopedic procedure. An ideal engagement tool is to share your success with your patients. The response was split down the middle. Forty-eight percent said they would go with a surgeon who successfully operated on someone they knew, and 47 percent said they would pick whichever surgeon had the best track record. While it is understandable the former group was enticed by familiarity, the choice of a bariatric surgeon is too important to simply settle for whatever is convenient. A truly renowned surgeon, like the many employed by practices utilizing services provided by MDnetSolutions, exhibits qualities vital to the surgical and recovery process that run-of-the-mill doctors simply cannot provide. Here are three vital qualities patients look for when selecting a bariatric surgeon. Options – Some surgeons specialize in just one type of weight loss surgery, and they try to push every patient who walks through their doors into that specific procedure. Yet, every patient is unique, with different health problems and weight loss goals. Depending on a patient’s BMI and overall medical history, a renowned weight loss surgeon will recommend a variety of laparoscopic surgical options to meet each patient’s needs. Specifically, while a Lap Band procedure may work for certain patients, others, having trouble controlling their food intake, may be better suited for a sleeve gastrectomy procedure. Patient Connection and Supplemental Support – Many people view bariatric surgery as a silver bullet to weight loss, but it is only the first step in the weight loss journey. It is the job of the bariatric surgeon and his or her staff to give patients every tool possible to lose and keep off excess weight. That is why it is important for a bariatric practice to be supportive and have the capability of tracking the progress of every individual in their patient population by using the LeadTracker™. The LeadTracker™, a web-based tool designed by MDnetSolutions, helps your practice stay connected to the patients well after they leave the operating table and makes sure the patients are doing everything they can to reach their goals. Continuing patient education programs, like the ones created by MDnetSolutions, also provides patients with advice and guidance on how to lose weight after the procedure. By providing support and a team-atmosphere, your practice can enhance its outcomes management and can provide a positive outcome for patients during their weight loss journey. Proven Record – Although bariatric procedures have a relatively low complication rate, patients believe it is important to select a surgeon with an exemplary safety record. As the famed St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean said, “It’s not bragging if you can do it.” Open communication with the patient is crucial for successful patient outcomes. Don’t be afraid to share your success with your patients. It is a great engagement tool, and MDnetSolutions can help design digital marketing campaigns geared to enhance patient engagement. Through our solutions, you are able to provide high-quality healthcare services because we help optimize operational efficiency, increase your brand presence and help grow your practice. To attract the 47 percent of patients who value experience and quality first, let MDnetSolutions develop marketing campaigns geared toward promoting your unmatched expertise, patient care, and track record that makes your practice, whether specializing in bariatric, orthopedic or any other specialty, one of the most successful and highly regarded healthcare facilities in the nation. To learn more, visit us at www.MDnetSolutions.com, as together we can transform healthcare. Note: PRNewswire helped contribute to this post.
Online Seminars a Life Saver for Bariatric Patients Written by web_developers on November 18, 2014. Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Convert. No Comments on Online Seminars a Life Saver for Bariatric Patients Severe obesity is a serious health concern, and is reaching epidemic levels within the United States. As a national issue, it is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths a year due to its associated life threatening conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney failure. Shockingly, living with severe obesity decreases a person’s lifespan by an average of 20 years; when you consider disabilities caused by strokes and other events, the potential impact on a person’s quality of life is incalculable. However, there are options thanks to weight loss procedures performed at the many world class facilities such as MountainView Weight Loss Center in Las Cruces, N.M., Park Nicollet Bariatric Surgery Center in Minneapolis and several other bariatric practices around the country that have partnered with Sequence Health. Together we provide long term-solutions to bolster patient engagement, improve patient management and generate positive patient outcomes. For individuals suffering from severe obesity, attempts at weight loss can be a challenging cycle of disappointment and negative reinforcement. Traditional weight loss methods like diet and exercise often fail to deliver the results needed for a severely obese person to reach and maintain a healthy weight. This lack of sustainable results can result in a sense of hopelessness and apathy that overwhelms the seriousness of underlying health concerns. To give severely obese individuals a better chance at an improved quality of life, a more effective option is needed. This is why many bariatric programs have teamed with Sequence Health to provide online seminars, housed on the practice’s website. These are designed to attract new patients and inform the patient of his or her treatment options. They also have the opportunity to view the video from the comfort of their home and do not have to travel, which for some severely obese people is an arduous task. “The online course is an alternative to attending one of our regularly scheduled seminars, in-person,” said Stephan Myers, MD, FACS, who works at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “The online bariatric course provides information to help you decide if bariatric surgery is right for you. It’s a convenient way to learn about our bariatrics program from the comfort of your home, at your personal computer.” Combine Sequence Health’ online seminars with our web-based LeadTracker™, which captures and tracks your patients from initial intake through every stage of the patient process under your care, and you are armed with the right tools to provide optimum care for your patients. Fortunately weight loss procedures are now more practical, viable and more easily accessible than ever before for a wider range of patients. A dedicated team of experienced specialists and surgeons use only the latest technology and the most proven methods to provide truly world class care. For anyone curious about the many outstanding and proven bariatric procedures available, an online seminar is the best way to learn about the surgery. With a wide range of treatment to choose from, any patient will be guided toward the exact strategy that’s right for them. Because bariatric surgery is not a one-size-fits-all procedure, highly experienced surgeons work closely with each and every patient throughout the process, from inquiry through post-op, to ensure all patients receive the top-notch care they need. This is where the LeadTracker™ proves to be a valuable tool. With one click of the mouse, you can tell where each patient is in the process. Because severe obesity is a life threatening concern, anyone dealing with its effects, limitations and consequences simply can’t afford to wait any longer before taking action. If your practice does not have an online seminar presence or a way to track the progress of your patients, your practice is not working as efficiently as it could be, and your patients are suffering. With the LeadTracker™, your practice runs more efficiently and is more productive, as the program simplifies and streamlines patient intake, appointment scheduling and outreach efforts. It’s a win for your patient population and for your practice. Don’t delay, visit Sequence Health today or call 888.986.3638 to schedule a demonstration.
Don’t Get Disconnected With Your Patients Written by web_developers on November 7, 2014. Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Connect. No Comments on Don’t Get Disconnected With Your Patients In an article published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, researchers from the University Health Network in Toronto are trying to learn why more than half of patients referred for a bariatric operation did not ultimately have the procedure. The researchers from the four hospitals comprising the University Health Network – Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto General Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – analyzed data from 1,644 patients. These patients were referred to the university’s bariatric surgery program between June 2008 and July 2011. Only 45 percent became bariatric surgical patients. Of the ones not having surgery, 30 percent didn’t even make it to the patient orientation session, the first step after getting the physician referral. “The majority of attrition appears to be the result of patient self-removal,” the authors of the article theorized. These findings seem to reiterate what Karla Tacey, the director of bariatrics at MountainView Regional Hospital in Las Cruces, N.M., has tried to emphasize. She believes connecting and staying engaged with bariatric patients is a must in order to gain positive results. “It takes so much for a patient to pick up that phone and say I want to have bariatric surgery. It’s scary,” said Tacey, who along with Dr. Frank Felts has seen the MountainView Weight Loss Center grow to nearly 60 patients a month in a little more than two years. Unlike a routine procedure, like gall bladder surgery, bariatric patients go through several steps. In the University Health Network’s program, patients endure several assessments, including an orientation followed by a nursing consultation, a nutrition class, a dietician assessment and an evaluation by a social worker. The patient is evaluated by a psychologist and has a final consultation with the surgeon prior to actually undergoing the procedure. During each of these steps, clinical experts evaluate whether the patient is a candidate for the procedure. There are so many steps in the process, it’s no wonder there is a high attrition rate of patients falling out of the program. Moving these 1,000-plus patients through the multi-stage process is comparable to herding cats. You are not sure where they are going to go and ultimately some will fall through the cracks. Had the University Health Network used a patient tracking solution, chances are the attrition rate would have been much lower. Perhaps the LeadTracker™, an innovative, web-based tool created by MDnetSolutions, would net more positive results for the hospital network. With the HIPAA-compliant solution, a doctor can track a patient’s progress from initial intake through every step of the patient cycle. A doctor can track a patient’s progress with a simple click of a mouse, saving time and enhancing the patient/physician experience. “It is a partnership,” Tacey said. “Bariatric surgery is a long process and you have to stay on top of these patients. If you don’t have a tracker or a method for watching these people, you will lose them.” University Health Network surgeon Fayez Quereshy, who was lead author of the study, has collaborated with his colleagues and they are currently testing whether a 40-question patient survey should be completed before orientation. The goal is to identify patients who are at risk for not having the operation and then have evaluation experts provide the proper support upfront to help guide the patient through the process. “If a patient has signs and symptoms of depression for example,” Dr. Quereshy said, “we can make sure he or she sees the psychiatrist first.” If University Health Network used The Leadtracker™, Dr. Quereshy could track the patient who is seeing the psychiatrist first and see how that patient has progressed. He also can see when a patient has been cleared by a social worker, completed a nutrition class or completed a nursing consultation and is ready for a final consultation with the surgeon. By doing some handholding, patients feel more secure and are more likely to go through with the surgery. The LeadTracker™ can help an organization maximize its patient relationship management and increase the chances for positive patient outcomes. It also can save a weight loss center or hospital on resources lost due to patients dropping out of the program.” Check us out at www.MDnetSolutions.com or schedule a demo. Click here to learn more about the LeadTracker™.
Let MDnetSolutions Help You Transform Patient Care Written by web_developers on October 31, 2014. Posted in Bariatric Surgery, Other. No Comments on Let MDnetSolutions Help You Transform Patient Care ObesityWeek 2014 is just a few days away. MDnetSolutions has successfully served the bariatric community since 2005, and we couldn’t be more honored to be an exhibitor once again at ObesityWeek for ASBMS in Boston on Nov. 4-6. We value our longstanding relationships with respected weight loss experts just like you. We look forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones next week. Drop by Booth No. 614, and learn more about patient engagement, patient management and outcomes management services offered by MDnetSolutions for bariatric and metabolic treatment professionals. Come get a copy of one our case studies and learn how bariatric practices like yours can benefit from teaming up with MDnetSolutions. Discover how we helped MountainView Weight Loss Center in Las Cruces, N.M., grow its practice through a website redesign, implementing Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click strategies and utilizing LeadTracker patient tracking solutions. Perhaps your program can be our next success story, as together we transform patient care! 24/7, full service, boutique medical call center Lead and patient tracking Don’t forget to drop your business card in the bowl to register to win a Fitbit wristband. We will have separate drawing daily at 3 p.m. So make sure to visit us often… We look forward to seeing you in Boston! Call 888-986-3638 or visit Sequence Health for more information.