Leading U.S. Hospitals Report Outcomes Using GetWellNetwork

BETHESDA, MD--(Marketwired - Sep 5, 2013) - GetWellNetwork^®, Inc., the leader in Interactive Patient Care™ (IPC) solutions, today announced additional performance data from its client community, demonstrating a clear and causal relationship between patient engagement and significant improvements in the delivery of health care. Through the implementation of an IPC delivery model, leading hospitals and health systems across the country continue to report advances in outcomes related to patient satisfaction, quality and safety, and finance and operations.

"Recognizing that the patient and their family are the only constant in the delivery of care, we embarked on our patient engagement initiative," says Dr. Stephen Knych, vice president, chief quality & patient safety officer, Adventist Health System. "Not only is patient engagement an ethical imperative, today it is a necessity from an economic perspective. Our focus quickly shifted from why we should do this to how, and today our innovative approach to patient care delivery is taking our outcomes to a new level."

As a result of their commitment to patient-centered care, Banner Health Cardon Children's Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz. has succeeded in decreasing their pediatric asthma readmission rate by 55.8 percent. Kenyon, a 10-year old patient at Cardon, has suffered from severe asthma since birth. His mother Bernadette explains, "Kenyon's chronic, life-threatening asthma has been greatly alleviated by Cardon's implementation of the GetWellNetwork Asthma Care Plan. The training and education we have received reduced our trips to the emergency room, and as a family we are able to better manage his condition. As a parent, this has given me greater peace of mind."

From reduced readmissions, improved pain control management, a quieter stay, a reduction in falls, and to cost reduction, hospitals are achieving significant advances in performance outcomes. A sampling* of recent data reported is provided below:

Patient Satisfaction

• 16.8 percent increase in staff responsiveness at Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center, Chandler, Ariz.
• 15.0 percent increase in pain control at Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, R.I.
• 19.4 percent increase in quiet at night at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Fairfax, Va.

Quality and Safety

• 55.8 percent decrease in pediatric asthma readmission rate at Banner Health Cardon Children's Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
• 30.0 percent decrease in falls rate at Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, Calif. 
• 99.1 percent decrease in pediatric asthma readmission rate at All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• 32.1 percent decrease in falls rate at Village Hospital, Greer, S.C.

Finance and Operations

• 5.8 percent reduction in average length of stay at Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, Calif.
• $2.5 million annual increase in incremental net revenue at Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
• 30.6 percent reduction in patient wait times at Valley Health Winchester Medical Center, Winchester, Va.

"Leading hospitals nationwide have turned to Interactive Patient Care as a core strategy to improve patient satisfaction, quality and safety, and operational performance," said David Wright, chief outcomes officer, GetWellNetwork. "These results attest that hospitals are effectively utilizing technology to activate patients and their families through an interactive, condition-specific plan of care, first at the hospital bedside and then in ambulatory and at-home settings. We continue to see evidence-based outcomes data reflecting significant improvement in both the patient experience and hospital quality performance."

*Outcomes were current as of July 2013.

For a complete list of outcomes data, visit www.getwellnetwork.com.

About GetWellNetwork
GetWellNetwork, Inc.^® provides patient engagement solutions that help healthcare providers engage, educate and empower patients along the care continuum. Our patient-centered platform, delivered across multiple technology platforms including mobile devices, computers and televisions, enables providers to implement a revolutionary care delivery model called Interactive Patient Care™ to improve performance and patient outcomes. The company further extends the value of existing IT investments by integrating seamlessly with electronic medical record and patient portal applications. 

GetWellNetwork is recognized by KLAS^® as the leader in the Interactive Patient Systems category and exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association. Learn more at www.GetWellNetwork.com.