High-Tech Meets High-Touch—Building a Better Experience Through Technology

Published on WCI360.com

As with other areas of healthcare, technology has transformed nearly every aspect of the workers’ compensation industry in a short span of time. Claims professionals, caregivers, and injured workers all rely on a wide range of tools designed to improve communication, transparency, and outcomes. One area in particular where technology has enormous potential to streamline treatment and promote engagement is in the crucial hospital-to-home stage of workplace injury recovery.

Health technology and communications platforms not only offer convenience and ease for patients, but can deliver key guidance and efficiencies that expedite care, keep recovery on track, and prevent costly delays. With 97% cell phone adoption¹ and up to a 98% open rate for text messages,² that guidance can be as simple as a notification about an upcoming appointment. In fact, research shows that 80% of people would prefer the option to interact with healthcare providers via smartphone, and 76% would prefer text reminders of upcoming appointments.³

From text-based communication to video-based calls for home modifications to advanced analytics and reporting, a robust and well-designed technology platform increases efficiency and helps every participant in the home health recovery journey.

Exciting opportunities for high-touch healthcare technology
It can be easy to overlook the crucial role communication capabilities play in the broader healthcare technology picture. Integrating easy access to communications technology that smoothly connects all parties provides a solid foundation for an impressive array of results and efficiencies, including:

• Increased patient engagement through notifications, appointment reminders, and seamless communication
• Visibility opportunities that can expedite treatment plans and prevent delays in implementing critical home modifications
• Accurate records through communication, video, and data logging to ensure integrity of case files
• Real-time patient feedback that can help us in our continual efforts to improve the patient experience

Effective workers’ compensation communications technology platforms should not only harness these advantages and efficiencies, but deliver a convenient, user-friendly experience.

Enabling a smooth and successful hospital-to-home journey
As a core aspect of Care at Home, Paradigm’s CareLink platform expedites care and touches every step of the recovery journey, improving efficiency and fostering a prompt return to healthy daily activity. From post-acute care to home discharge to ancillary areas, including home modification and prosthetics, our proprietary technology was designed from the ground up to ensure real-time interactions, timely care, and a positive experience. For claims professionals, caregivers, injured workers, and families, CareLink delivers effective results from a powerful suite of capabilities:

• TeleConnect video: Secure video calling expedites treatment plans in a wide range of use cases. For prosthetists, video calling can be crucial for initial consultation and the ongoing treatment plan. For home and vehicle modifications, contractors can transmit video from the job site to minimize costs and keep recovery plans on schedule when all parties aren’t available in person.
• Texting and real-time communication: With a nearly 70% opt-in rate⁴, English- and Spanish-capable texting broadens access, delivers quick answers, keeps recovery on track, and increases care efficiency.
• Real-time patient surveys: The ability to provide instant feedback increases engagement and prompt responses to emerging issues. Based on injured workers rating their experience on a scale of one to five, Paradigm’s Care at Home has achieved a consistent 93% satisfaction rate.⁴
• Recovery tracking: CareLink records all communications, allowing for easy case documentation with a wide range of data points that even include delivery and shipping information, and ongoing order submissions—helping to ease administrative burden and maximize time efficiency.
• Reporting capabilities: In-depth data means increased visibility and analytics for client spending, quality assurance, provider performance, and employer savings reporting.

Better outcomes through better communication and engagement
By ensuring broad and easy access that reaches people where they are, communications technology has the power to positively impact all stakeholders in the care pipeline, from case managers to employers to injured workers and their families. To ensure the best outcomes in this essential phase of recovery, Paradigm’s Care at Home and our proprietary CareLink platform deliver a seamless experience from day one.

Learn more about our full suite of solutions, including Home Healthcare, Post-Acute Care, DME and Medical Supplies, Home and Vehicle Modifications, and Prosthetics.

Sources:
¹https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
²https://www.messagedesk.com/blog/text-messaging-statistics-facts-stats-insights
³https://www.fico.com/en/newsroom/fico-global-survey-80-smartphone-users-interested-health-care-alerts
⁴Paradigm internal data