Theme 3. Transforming patients’ and caregivers’ experience and health
Presentation Materials (members only)
Extending the EMR with Patient Tablets Using an automated patient reminder service and survey to collect information on patients’ experiences Add some SaaS to your patient experience surveys Collecting meaningful data on patient experience can be a time-consuming and challenging, but it can have invaluable results. Four different approaches that have proven successful are explored in this session.
(I) Extending the EMR with Patient Tablets: Using Interactive, Point-of-Care Patient Surveys in the Waiting Room to Generate Clinical Content and Save Time
Learning Objectives
Learn how mobile devices and a cloud-based platform can unlock and extend your EMR, enhance patient communication, and save time. In this session, you will hear how primary care clinics are using mobile tablets and a large library of clinical content with their existing EMRs to allow patients to securely update contact information, provide a detailed patient history, or complete forms like the Nipissing Well-Baby Screen. Data entered by the patient can be automatically used to calculate scores, recommend treatment based on clinical guidelines, add a clinical note to the EMR, and even generate customized patient educational materials and handouts.
Summary
In this presentation, you will see firsthand how one physician is using tablets to transform his practice. Learn how online patient questionnaires - completed on tablets in the waiting room, or from home before the appointment – are reducing appointment time requirements by as much 65%, while allowing more time spent face-to-face with the patient. By automating administrative tasks like email consent and demographic updates, you will also hear how clinics are becoming more efficient and reducing the burden on front-desk staff. Finally, you will see how replacing the scanning of paper forms with digital data entry, patient records can become more structured, more accurate, and minable. Learn how Ocean’s EMR-agnostic, integrated support for mobile tools and the largest library of openly available clinical questionnaires is transforming primary care across the province. With over 300,000 patient record EMR updates completed by patients in waiting rooms and exam rooms in just under two years, this technology is making it possible to access and share crucial healthcare resources in a whole new way.
Presenters
- Dr. Douglas Kavanagh, MD, North York FHT; Founder, CognisantMD
- Dr. Robert Davis, MD, Happy Valley FHT
(II) Transforming Primary Health Care Delivery through Innovative Patient Experience Tool
Learning Objectives
- Importance of obtaining Patient Feedback on primary health care services delivery
- Value of Real Time innovative Patient Feedback tools in aiding analysis and relevance
- Removing Communication Barriers between patients and health care team
- The value of patient feedback tools on measuring quality improvement of patient experience.
- Summary (II):
This innovative tool of collecting patient feedback has resulted in removing barriers for patients to provide feedback to their health care team about their experience due to the ease of use and accessibility. Furthermore, we are now using the provincial QIP patient questions in our survey for the past 1 month. This will allow our tool to be leveraged across primary care teams to compare patient experience in different settings and ensuring our alignment with provincial strategy.
Presenters
- Wise Elephant FHT:
- Sanjeev Goel, Lead Physician
- Virgiliu Bogdan Pinzaru, Health Informatics Analyst, QIDSS
- Lopita Banerjee, Physician
Authors and Contributors
- Jaipaul Massey Singh
(III) Using an Automated Patient Reminder Service and Survey to Collect Information on Patients’ Experiences
Learning Objectives
This session will inform participants about how to use an automated patient reminder service to survey patients on their experiences seeking and receiving care at their FHT. Participants will learn about the cost and minimal burden of this approach as well as the patients it can reach and which survey questions can be used.
Summary
In order to improve the care we deliver, FHTS need to understand patients’ experiences in seeking and receiving their health care. FHTs are also required to survey their patients annually to contribute to their quality improvement plans. At the same time, many FHTS are seeking ways to improve their care through automated reminder systems such as appointment reminders. This session will present an overview of a new approach to surveying FHT patients using automated surveys similar to patient reminder calls, emails, or texts. It will present the results and experiences from FHTs which have used this technology. The strengths and weakness of this technology including the patients it reaches and whom it may not, the burden on practices, and the cost will be shared with participants.
Presenters
- Anthony Mar, President, Cliniconex Inc.
- Sharon Johnston, Family Physician, Clinician Investigator, University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine, Bruyère FHT
Authors and Contributors
- Bill Hogg, University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine, Bruyère Continuing Care
(IV) Add some SaaS to your Patient Experience Surveys
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn novel strategies for coordinating and collecting patient experience surveys that reduce FHT staff and patient burden.
Summary
While the collection of patient experience data is mandated by HQO, there is little guidance around how to collect this data with existing resources. Strategies are needed to support survey distribution that minimize burden on both FHT staff and patients. To address this challenge, the Women’s College Hospital Academic FHT has developed an automated system to collect patient experience data. We designed 3 short surveys, each focussed on a different domain of patient experience. Each survey includes:
- the questions mandated by HQO,
- questions related to chosen domain, and
- demographics questions.
Patients receive an email with survey link during their birth month, so that each patient only receives one survey annually. Our process, which involves use of SaaS (software as a service) solutions, allows us to:
- Minimize data entry and analysis burden by automating distribution, data entry, and analysis
- Minimize patient burden, while still collecting feedback on a wider variety of issues (3 short surveys)
- Monitor improvements over time (the 3 surveys are rotated throughout the year, allowing for quarterly analysis on all domains)
- Semi-automate qualitative analysis of patient comments
- Adopt best practices in electronic survey distribution, including via mobile devices
- Minimize privacy and confidentiality issues related to the US Patriot Act
- Be compliant with Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) which came into effect July 1, 2014.
While subscription costs for SaaS solutions are not inexpensive, economies of scale may be achieved if a system is adopted and shared across FHTs.
Presenters
- Women’s College Academic FHT:
- Nicole Bourgeois, Dietitian and Health Promoter
- Holly Finn, Program Coordinator
- Susie Kim, Family Physician and FHT QI Lead
- Craig Thompson, Director of Digital Communications, Women's College Hospital
Authors and Contributors
- Ranjana Shardha, Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist