News Feature | September 10, 2015

Engagement Through Telehealth Improves Patient Outcomes

Katie Wike

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Telehealth Docs

Patients enrolled in a telehealth engagement program have been shown to have shorter hospital stays and be significantly less likely to return to the hospital for readmission.

According to a study of the VOX Telehealth OrthoCare Program, patients who engaged in a telehealth program saw improved outcomes overall. Patients who had undergone knee and hip replacements were followed through their hospital stays with mHealth News reporting 92 percent who enrolled in the telehealth platform – which starts 30 days before surgery and continues until 60-90 days after surgery – were discharged directly to home. This is especially impressive considering the national average is only 30 percent.

“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 Dr. Matthew A. Dobzyniak, of St. Mary’s Hospital in a press release. “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.”

The VOX platform is designed to help patients prepare for and recover from their surgery. Experts explain that it offers educational content, reminders and notes on potential symptoms and can be tied to a notification and alert system customized for the patient.

According to iHealth Beat:

  • 93 percent said the platform improved their episode-of-care experience
  • 91 percent said the platform helped manage their expectations prior to surgery
  • 91 percent said they were very satisfied with their care
  • 55 percent said the program improved their satisfaction with the physician and hospital

“We believe that many programs are too light in their preparation and engagement of the patient to actually impact a patient’s experience and outcomes,” says David Brown, Founder and CEO of VOX Telehealth. “VOX is designed to ask a lot of the patient, but by doing so, we are truly empowering them to become an active partner in their episode of care, which greatly enhances their experience, greatly reduces the clinical workflow, and greatly improves the overall outcomes.”