June 23, 2009 – A significant study was released today demonstrating the efficacy of interactive patient care technology on improving outcomes in heart failure care.
GetWellNetwork Inc. released a white paper reporting significant improvements in heart failure readmission rates, average length of stay and patient satisfaction, achieved by leveraging the company's bedside technology to more fully engage patients in their care.
One year following the implementation of GetWellNetwork's Heart Failure Interactive Care Plan, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital (SVBGH) reported a 74 percent reduction in heart failure readmission rates 30 days post-discharge (2007 vs. 2008). Other noteworthy outcomes included a 13 percent reduction in average heart failure patient length of stay, an overall readmission rate of only 5 percent for heart failure and a 43 percent improvement in patient satisfaction with the quality of education regarding illness.
These outcomes also result in significant cost savings. When applying the national average hospital cost per day for heart failure patients (source: Agency for Health Research and Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project [AHRQ HCUPnet] 2006) to these changes in performance, results are projected at an annual cost savings of $831,000 due to the reduction in length of stay alone.
"The success of the Heart Failure Interactive Care Plan has greatly enhanced our ability to establish and replicate best practices in heart failure care," said Audrey Douglas-Cooke, director, cardiac/critical patient care services at SVBGH.
Building on the success of the Heart Failure Interactive Care Plan at SVBGH, GetWellNetwork is introducing this patient pathway technology at client hospitals nationally. The first three sites announced for implementation are St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Christiana Care Health System and St. Joseph East Hospital.
A full copy of the white paper, entitled "Improving Heart Failure Outcomes through Interactive Patient Care: The Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Experience," can be downloaded at www.getwellnetwork.com.
For more information: www.getwellnetwork.com
May 01, 2024 
