Communication Strategies to Support Safe, Seamless Patient Transfers
Every minute counts when it comes to patient transfers. A safe and seamless transfer depends on a timely and efficient process from the moment a transfer is initiated until a patient is located at the right place to get the right level of care. Effective communication is the foundation to a successful patient transfer, especially if a patient is being transferred between different hospitals or health systems. Unfortunately, communication breakdowns — especially between different hospitals or health systems — may result in laborious patient transfers that can jeopardize safety and quality.
Standardization of Patient Transfers to Support Optimal Patient Care
COVID-19 has exacerbated already strained processes for transferring patients in and out of hospitals. Given a higher volume of patients needing specialized care coupled with ongoing staffing issues plaguing health systems nationwide, the lack of standardization for transferring patients has serious consequences.
Transfers are initiated when a hospital does not have the capacity or capability to treat a patient. However, without a standardized transfer process within and outside health systems and hospitals, the risk of moving a patient may outweigh the risk of caring for them at the originating hospital, even in a setting that lacks the ideal space, equipment or personnel.
Patient transfer troubles are not new, yet the pandemic has overwhelmed hospitals like never before. Patient volume poses increasingly significant transfer challenges and hospitals and health systems should prioritize standardization now before the next crisis hits.
Lessons from Conduit’s Pivot to Remote Work
Conduit Health has always been ahead of the curve on business needs. Looking back to January of 2020, we were operating as a traditional in-person health call center. We could see the value of having a remote work option and wanted to offer that to our associates, so we began working on policies, procedures, and developing technologies to make that goal a reality. We expected to have our first fully remote associate position in May of 2020.
24/7 nurse-first line improves clinical outcomes for one of Ohio’s largest health insurance companies
Health concerns don’t stick to a 9-to-5 schedule. Medical Mutual sought a better solution to provide its members quick access to reliable clinical advice, any time of the day.
Dalton-Norman featured on Becker’s Healthcare discussing the Conduit Patient Transfer Center
The pandemic has changed many aspects of how we look at patient transfer service processes. Listen to this recent Becker’s Healthcare podcast featuring Conduit’s President Cheryl Dalton-Norman and Jeffrey DiLisi, MD, President and CEO of Roper St. Francis Healthcare, who discuss how Conduit’s unique service offerings transformed care at Roper St. Francis Healthcare.
Expedite Patient Transfers with Streamlined Care Coordination
When it comes to patient transfers, effective communication and timely care coordination are important to ensure patients receive the care they need, when and where they need it. However, many hospitals and hospital systems lack the inhouse resources, operational capacity, and expertise to implement an optimal patient transfer process. This can result in precious time and resources spent contacting dozens of providers to find the most appropriate place for a patient’s care.
How to Reduce Avoidable Visits to the Emergency Department
Too many people face the unfortunate scenario of getting sick outside their doctor’s office hours. Lacking other options, some may head to the emergency department before their situation gets worse.
Health concerns don’t stick to a 9-to-5 schedule. For employers, physician practices, health systems, and other organizations, a 24/7 Nurse Access Line is an important solution that can help many of your members avoid costly visits to the ED.
Health care call center solutions to improve patient engagement
Making it easier for patients to manage their own care has become increasingly important for hospitals and health systems. Patients expect and demand convenient solutions to get the care they need when they need it, which often starts with a phone call to a health care call center. There are many benefits to having a robust system that is both responsive to calls and proactive in engaging patients.
3 reasons your company should offer this employee benefit
A comprehensive employee benefits package — including one that offers convenient health care services — plays a big role in recruitment, retention and workforce satisfaction. There’s one service in particular that you should include in your employee benefits package: a 24/7 Nurse Access Line.
Improved Outcomes through Virtual Care
Virtual care — while not new prior to the pandemic — significantly increased in popularity as providers turned to safe alternatives for delivering health care amidst COVID-19. Virtual care is a broad term that encompasses many ways that health care providers and patients interact real-time through digital tools. Examples include care delivered via video, audio, remote monitoring, instant messaging, and more.
