Improving Quality of Care with ePRO Systems

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Need for Digital Solutions in Healthcare
3. The Study Purpose
4. The Patient Care Monitor: Concerto's Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes System
5. Study Design and Data Collection
6. Results and Implications for Quality Cancer Care
7. Screening Patients for Falls Risk and Tobacco Use
8. The Benefits of Using an E-Pro System in Clinical Practice
9. Conclusion
10. FAQs

Using Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes to Improve Quality of Care

As healthcare providers, we all strive to provide the highest quality of care to our patients. However, with the increasing demands of certifying bodies and the need to Collect patient-reported information, it can be challenging to keep up with the workload. That's where Concerto's electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO) system, the Patient Care Monitor, comes in. In this article, we'll explore how this system can help Create a culture of excellence in your organization and improve the quality of care you provide.

The Need for Digital Solutions in Healthcare

In today's digital age, it's no surprise that healthcare providers are turning to digital solutions to streamline their workflows and improve patient care. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for remote patient monitoring and telehealth services has become even more critical. The Patient Care Monitor is an ePRO system that can help healthcare providers collect patient-reported information seamlessly and efficiently.

The Study Purpose

The purpose of the study was to document and demonstrate the effectiveness of using an ePRO system to facilitate compliance with any number of metric reporting standards. The study focused on smoking status by assessing office visits, which is a Core KPI standard, as well as all risk assessments.

The Patient Care Monitor: Concerto's Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes System

The Patient Care Monitor is a web-Based ePRO system that seamlessly integrates with electronic medical records (EMRs). Patients complete surveys via e-tablet, including a tobacco user survey and a falls risk assessment. The survey data is then delivered to physicians and nurses in real-time, allowing them to see trends over time and symptoms before they meet with the patient. The data is also used during the consultation and can be used for later report generation.

Study Design and Data Collection

The study used a retrospective observational design using the Patient Care Monitor at West Cancer Center, a community cancer center in Tennessee. The data was collected between January and November 2019, and patients completed surveys at the first of their initial visits to the office. The study screened over 6,500 patients over an 11-month period without significant clinical staff involvement.

Results and Implications for Quality Cancer Care

The study's top results have pragmatic implications for the delivery of quality cancer care. The Patient Care Monitor created critical efficiencies gained through EMR integration, and without interfering with the practice flow, patients received an in-clinic survey. The data collected was used during the consultation itself, and the administrative platform allowed administrators to generate reports that could be used for any quality metrics standard reporting requirement.

Screening Patients for Falls Risk and Tobacco Use

The study found that 22% of patients indicated that they had at least one fall over the past six months, and 12% reported a recent fall within the past three months. Just under half of the patients reported ever having used tobacco, with 15% being Current users. Amongst those, 34% used cigarettes, 4% cigars, and 3% e-cigarettes. This kind of information can be very helpful to a practice as they try to plan for the resources they may need to provide services to their patients, such as a tobacco or smoking cessation program.

The Benefits of Using an E-Pro System in Clinical Practice

The Patient Care Monitor can be used to monitor not only tobacco usage and falls risk but other symptoms as well. In today's climate, we can screen for COVID-19 risk via remote ePRO monitoring to help keep patients and staff safe. The system can create clinical utility and efficiencies to reduce the clinic load, and it can be an effective tool in your organization to help create a culture of excellence characterized by a systematic approach in which no patient is missed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Patient Care Monitor is an ePRO system that can help healthcare providers collect patient-reported information seamlessly and efficiently. It can create critical efficiencies gained through EMR integration, and without interfering with the practice flow, patients can receive an in-clinic survey. The data collected can be used during the consultation itself, and the administrative platform allows administrators to generate reports that can be used for any quality metrics standard reporting requirement.

FAQs

Q: What is an ePRO system? A: An ePRO system is an electronic patient reported outcomes system that allows patients to complete surveys via e-tablet, which can be used to collect patient-reported information seamlessly and efficiently.

Q: How can an ePRO system help improve the quality of care? A: An ePRO system can help healthcare providers collect patient-reported information seamlessly and efficiently, which can be used to improve the quality of care they provide.

Q: Can an ePRO system be used to monitor COVID-19 risk? A: Yes, an ePRO system can be used to screen for COVID-19 risk via remote monitoring to help keep patients and staff safe.

Q: What are the benefits of using an ePRO system in clinical practice? A: The benefits of using an ePRO system in clinical practice include creating critical efficiencies gained through EMR integration, reducing the clinic load, and helping to create a culture of excellence characterized by a systematic approach in which no patient is missed.