Mobile integration can improve FQHC quality measurements
Patient engagement that doesn’t require manual intervention can boost staff efficiency and improve clinical outcomes at safety-net organizations across the country, according to CareMessage, which has announced the first release of a new mobile messaging tool designed specifically for these purposes.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
The nonprofit says the integration feature of its Health Equity Engine patient activation platform is intended to implement a critical Uniform Data System reporting measure for government-licensed community centers.
It is also designed to seventh leading Cause of Death in the U.S. FQHC patients are disproportionately affected by diabetes — 14% have been diagnosed with the disease compared to 11.6% of the general population, CareMesage noted. Further, nearly 30% of FQHC patients have uncontrolled diabetes.
Through its automated Gaps-in-Care Journeys functionality, the platform integrates with electronic health records to automatically identify patients with untreated diabetes and enroll them in messaging programs that allow them to book lab visits and appointments, follow up on referrals, provide access to diabetes management programs, or provide education.
The 400 safety-net organizations in 45 states that use the platform — FQHCs, Tribal Health Centers and other community health centers — can use mobile messaging technology to fill gaps in care for 10 million underserved patients, the company said.
Patients can receive messages in over 60 languages using CareMessage’s built-in templates. Outreach messages can also be customized.
THE BIGGER TREND
Securing resources for patients through text messages is one way to ensure health equity for the underserved, Dr. Emily C. Webber, Chief Medical Information Officer at Indiana University Health – and winner of the 2024 HIMSS Changemaker Award – said earlier this year.
Despite the need for accessibility, FQHCs and other community health centers can also experience high rates of missed appointments, which burdens organizations and creates unnecessary delays in care for patients waiting for an appointment.
New York City’s Urban Health Plan looked to artificial intelligence technology to address higher-than-average missed appointment rates and reduce patient no-show rates over three months. After algorithms analyzed EHR data, UHP used a combination of interventions, including messaging patients about same-day virtual rescheduling options, targeted phone calls and more.
“We took a multifaceted approach to just address patient access and engagement in general,” said Alison Connelly-Flores, UHP’s Chief Medical Information Officer and member of the New York eHealth Collaborative Board of Directors. Healthcare IT News last year.
ON THE RECORD
“This is a major step forward in the technology available to FQHCs to improve clinical outcomes for some of their most at-risk patients,” said Cecilia Corral, CareMessage’s chief strategy officer, in a statement. “We’re excited that CareMessage is the first to bring this to market and continues to deliver on our mission to improve health equity for five million low-socioeconomic patients by 2028.”
Andrea Fox is Editor-in-Chief of Healthcare IT News.
Email address: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.
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