A telehealth program between Richmond, Va.-based Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital and VOX Telehealth in Princeton, N.J., has improved outcomes for participating patients with increased direct-to-home discharges, reduced length of stay, and improved patient experience, according to the organizations.
The OrthoCare Program was picked by Bon Secours to support their hip and knee replacement program and implemented with patients beginning in January 2015. The web-based program, which starts 30 days prior to surgery and extends between 60 and 90 days post-surgery, engages patients with educational content, reminders, and symptomatic observations tied to a customizable alert escalation and notification system.
The study reviewed patient results of those who used the OrthoCare Program alongside St. Mary’s existing patient handbook. Results from the survey and patient outcomes showed:
- 92 percent of patients were discharged directly to home, compared to a national average of approximately 30 percent
- Length of stay was reduced to 1.6 days, compared to the control group’s 2.0 days and 3.7 days nationally
- 91 percent of patients reported they were very satisfied with the overall care they received
- 93 percent of patients reported that the program improved their episode-of-care experience
- 55 percent of patients said the program made them more satisfied with their physician and hospital
- 91 percent of patients said the program helped to manage their expectations prior to surgery
- 79 percent of patients responded to their 30-plus-days post-discharge survey, versus 18 percent and less response rates common in the industry
- None of the patients in the program were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, compared to national average of ~6 percent for multiple joint replacement procedures
“The benefit of VOX’s program is that it takes the whole process into account—from pre-op to the hospital process to post-op,” said Matthew A. Dobzyniak, M.D., of St. Mary’s Hospital. “It creates a better medical state for the patient before surgery, leads to shorter hospital stays, and a quicker recovery. We agree with the fundamental and philosophical structure of the program, and the results speak to its efficacy.”
