Personalized Patient Engagement Improves Outcomes and Decreases Costs for Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery

THE CHALLENGE

This large, comprehensive health system and orthopedic physician group had invested in continuous quality improvement, ranking as one of the most efficient practices in the country. As part of its quest to drive continuous improvement, it sought strategies to increase patient engagement to improve surgical outcomes. Still, it struggled to effectively engage patients through the EHR portal and phone calls.

THE PROJECT

The organization developed a digital patient engagement strategy with an interdisciplinary team selecting Twistle^® Patient Engagement by Health Catalyst to deliver patient education and reminders and to gather assessment data before and after surgical procedures. Patients receive training on how to use Twistle during their office visits. After the office visit, patients receive messages, watch videos, submit wound photos, enter subjective and objective information throughout their preparation and recovery, and can enter questions that are automatically routed to the appropriate care team member for a timely response. In addition, an extensive library of clinical best practices and communication protocols were tapped and modified to incorporate specific preferences and details of the practice into the engagement pathways. Pathways launch automatically based on scheduling and admission, discharge, and transfer feeds.

THE RESULT

The health system has successfully increased patient engagement, improving readiness for surgery. As a result, the organization has experienced high patient adoption rates, and many of its patients’ questions are addressed proactively, improving care effectiveness.

• 29 percent relative reduction in patient call volume.
• 10 percent relative reduction in length of stay. 26 percent more inpatients are discharged within 24 hours of surgery.
• 53 percent relative reduction in emergency department visits after surgery and a six percent relative reduction in readmissions.

“Twistle has fostered a shorter length of stay while also reducing readmissions by supporting patients as they recover at home. The ability to safely manage surgical patients post-discharge reduced costs and increased patient satisfaction.”

Orthopedic Surgeon

ADDITIONAL READING

• Engaging Patients for Better Orthopedic Outcomes
• Digital Patient Engagement Decreases Cancellations for Children and Adolescents Undergoing Procedures with Anesthesia
• Digital Patient Engagement Technology Addresses Gap for Pediatric Patients and Caregivers
• Digital Patient Engagement Supports Patients with End-Stage Heart Failure
• Digital Care Technology Enables COVID-19 Care at Scale