Choosing the right patient reported outcomes software for your organization comes with a lot of consideration. It’s a substantial investment, so you want to be as strategic as possible when vetting patient reported outcomes platform vendors. With that being said, investing in a digital outcomes based software is one of the best ways to increase your practice’s efficiency, profitability, and overall program vitality.
Here are 4 steps to choose the right software for your organization:
1. Determine your practice’s needs
Before you begin to evaluate your options for patient outcome software companies, it's important to set goals and expectations for what you want and need out of the tool. These goals should take into consideration the provider, care teams, and patients.The reason that it is so important to set these goals before vetting outcomes software is that digital outcome tools, such as Force, offer need-based solutions, in order to be as customizable as possible for healthcare organizations.For example, you might be interested in an outcomes assessment and collection tool, but in addition to tracking outcomes, you also need a remote recovery solution, and patient navigation. In this case, we would scale the tool to mold to your organization’s specific needs.
Here’s an example of what your goals might look like:
- Outcomes collection: To meet various program requirements and help create a more valuable service line with actionable insights.
- Remote recovery: To take control of at-home recovery for safe and scalable pre- & post-op care.
- Patient navigation: To grow and extend the clinician reach and close communication gaps.
2. Choose a tool that is customizable.
We fully understand that each organization that we work with has unique care plans for their patients. With that being said, you should vet software that is highly customizable, with data-backed frameworks, but can be adjusted according to the provider’s needs and guidance.
Leave Manual Processes in the Past
Throughout the episode of care, the outcome tool should trigger data collection forms at strategic points. At Force, our proprietary Intelligent Care Plan product feature is an agile experience for building and scaling highly personalized remote care.The foundational methodology of the Intelligent Care Plan is a rules-based tool built on a master template, with configurable rules that adjust care for every single patient. This is a vast improvement from the otherwise manual process for the care team to build personalized pathways.Brigham Health recently published a blog highlighting the many benefits to emerge within their orthopedic program since integrating the Force platform, but specifically, the capabilities of real-time uniformed communication based on protocol. Here’s what Dr. Lange has to say about Force:
“Protocols vary among surgeons, from dealing with post-surgical incisions and pain medication regimens to the timing of PT and managing red flags. Having a home base to deliver reproducible protocols is a game-changer for me, because I can consistently provide the same message to all of my patients in real-time,”
3. Choose a multifaceted digital health tool
Although outcomes measurement software will provide many meaningful data insights for organizational improvements, there are other benefits to a multidimensional digital health tool. In fact, patient engagement and education are both key factors in successful recover.
Patient Engagement and Education
According to our studies, patients engaged on the Force Therapeutics app reported significantly less pain, postoperatively. In addition, patient education is proven to lead to better compliance on outcome forms. So, by leveraging a multifaceted digital health tool, not only are you cultivating a positive experience and recovery with your patients, but you are also collecting a large influx of quality patient reported outcomes. This blog by Vanderbilt discusses the partnership with Force Therapeutics, and how the platform has not only enhanced patient education and engagement, but how they are able to save substantial sums of money for the organization, and the patient.
Reputation Management and Brand Building
Value-based care has surfaced the need for hospital’s to turn their attention towards their brand reputation. Patients who have received virtual PT have reported higher procedure satisfaction ratings at an average of 4.58 out of 5. The outcome software you choose should aid in advocating the high-level of care your programs are able to provide to patients, which ultimately leads to an increased revenue stream from payers.
4. Interoperability
Interoperability is a big buzzword within the healthcare industry, but why should it be important to your organization, and how is it tied into patient outcome software?
Integration is a Time Saver
For one, integrating a healthcare platform with your EMR reduces manual work as well as human error. Outcomes software gives time back to the care team to address patient’s needs with the highest level of care.
Comprehensive Care Experience
Throughout an episode of care, integration allows both the patient and providers a comprehensive care experience, especially as patients move to different settings throughout the continuum of their care.
Accurate Data Representation
Data collection tools can contribute a large amount of patient information to EMRs Without sufficient data collection, it can be unclear for clinicians and health teams to know what factors can contribute to high quality of care. With Force’s patient outcome software, there is accurate representation of all relevant information within their EMR chart.If you have determined your practice’s needs and goals, then you’re ready for a platform like Force Therapeutics, and you should book a demo with us!