Patient Experience Week and Vital

Every April, healthcare professionals around the world celebrate Patient Experience Week, a time when nurses, physicians, and healthcare professionals are honored for their commitment and impact to the patient experience. Over the last two years, healthcare providers have navigated the uncharted territory of COVID and dealt with its downstream impact: physical and mental loads, staffing shortages, and changing regulations. Add to that consumer expectations of care – and we have an unprecedented situation where patient engagement and artificial intelligence (AI) strategies are top of mind for most healthcare organizations and their leaders. 

According to one study, nearly all healthcare executives rank patient experience as a top priority. In another survey of 500 healthcare leaders, 3 in 4 said they are looking at ways AI can support nonclinical tasks that take time away from clinicians, when that time could be spent with patients and delivering care. The time is now to implement strategies that bring both AI and patient experience to the forefront of healthcare and work for everyone: patients, clinicians, staff, and organizations alike.

3 Ways Vital Improves the Patient Experience

As we look at Vital through the lens of the patient experience, we’ll focus on how patients engage with the app and the impact to care we’ve seen across various healthcare partners. 

1. Reduction of Stress through Enhanced Communication

Over the last 12 months, over 500,000 patients have used Vital to track their progress through the Emergency Department and over 125,000 shared their status with loved ones and caregivers. With ERAdvisor, patients have access to real-time, personalized data about their visit. The experience is personalized for each patient and leverages AI to help educate patients about their visit (including upcoming labs), inform them about the hospital, and guide them to schedule appropriate follow-up care. Behind the scenes, our technology uses a variety of inputs including ESI, age, and vitals to display information that is relevant and specific to that patient. This curated guide to the ED keeps patients in control, allows them to request comfort or service items, and ensures they understand what to expect and when to expect it. They are also able to securely and automatically share visit details with loved ones.

2. Patients Use the App and Find it Helpful

On average, more than 57% of all patients who arrive in the ED with a cell phone use the tool. In some instances, utilization numbers approach 75-80% and 25% of patients continue to use ERAdvisor to access their patient portal and online scheduling resources. This is far beyond industry averages of other digital patient engagement solutions – a true testament to how easy-to-use, intuitive tools engage the patient and lead to higher quality care. Patients are intrigued by the information provided and therefore use it more; the average patient spends over 12 minutes actively in the app, and the top users near over 35 minutes. In a recent survey, 94% of users were satisfied with the Vital experience. These are incredible numbers and our team at Vital frequently tests, improves upon, and adjusts according to patient engagement data.

3. Patients are More Satisfied

CommonSpirit measured the results of ERAdvisor throughout its pilot. It launched in April of 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Six months later, the “likelihood to recommend” score on the HCAHPS survey moved from 30 to 98. A year into the program, CommonSpirit continued to see positive results in Arizona. Its “informed about delays” score improved by 250% year over year. The “Would Recommend” score improved about 150%, and we also were able to move the needle on “Kept Family and Friends Informed.” You can read the full case study here.

Ensure Patient Experience is a Top Priority – And Benefits All

While healthcare organizations round out their celebrations of #PXWeek, we must keep an eye on the future. Patients expect high-quality, personalized care and when this doesn’t happen, they can feel dissatisfied with their care and take their care (and their family’s) elsewhere. As organizations continue to innovate and make care more patient-centric, those providing care deserve great technology, too. Technology, and the digital tools provided to patients and providers, should not be (and must not) support one group or the other. When a tool like Vital helps to engage the patient by educating them and keeping them informed, providers, families, and organizations alike all benefit.

Want to learn more? Check out the ERAdvisor Self-Demo or Download Our Case Study.