Vocera Communications, Inc. introduced Vocera Patient Connect, a new multimedia discharge solution, at the AONE 45th Annual Meeting on March 22-23 in Boston. Vocera Patient Connect provides a patient-centric approach to communication that improves patient comprehension and compliance of discharge instructions, contributing to reduced readmissions.
With the threat of penalties from Medicare looming for readmissions based on the same diagnosis, hospitals across the nation are searching for solutions to ensure better safety and health following patient discharge. Ensuring effective patient education and comprehension are key to improving patient compliance and outcomes. Studies show that patients who understand their discharge instructions are 30 percent less likely to be readmitted or to visit the emergency department.1
“One of the most important care transitions is the transfer of caregiver responsibility from hospital clinicians to the patient or respective family member at discharge,” said Cheryl Bailey Chief Nursing Officer/Vice President Patient Care Services, Cullman Regional Medical Center.
Blending healthcare best practices with face-to-face communication and advanced technology, Vocera Patient Connect records live discharge instructions between the patient and caregiver. After the discharge communication discussion, the patient is asked to listen to the captured conversation and clarify any points of confusion. This discussion can improve patient recall and understanding of discharge instructions – from medication schedules and dietary restrictions to follow-up appointments and healthcare risks - and provides a full audit trail for future reference.
In addition to recording discharge communication events, Vocera Patient Connect allows the caregiver to share valuable educational documents, videos and pictures to support the patient’s understanding of their post-hospital care. For example, if a patient needs to learn how to care for a wound, the hospital caregiver might take a picture or record a video showing how to properly dress the wound. Once at home, the patient or care provider can securely access the multimedia information using their device of choice, including a smartphone, laptop, mobile device or personal computer. Access to captured live discharge instructions and education tools are readily available to the patient and family 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
With Vocera Patient Connect, patient education and compliance initiatives continue beyond discharge. Using multimedia resources, task lists, care reminders and alerts, patients can manage their care, follow-up appointments, medication schedules, dietary restrictions, educational materials and laboratory reports. Vocera Patient Connect also provides auditing capabilities that track exactly what, when, and how discharge is handled by each clinician, which provides transparency and accountability. Furthermore, caregivers can use Vocera Patient Connect to send an audio message or text reminder to patients, encouraging compliance.
Vocera provides mobile communication solutions addressing critical communication challenges facing hospitals today, helping customers improve patient safety and satisfaction and increase hospital efficiency and productivity through a Voice Communication solution, Secure Messaging applications, and Care Transition solutions. Exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association, the Vocera solutions are installed in more than 800 hospitals and healthcare facilities worldwide. For more information, visit www.vocera.com.