HJNO Jul/Aug 2019

Q&A 24 JUL / AUG 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS   electronic medical record. The data is moni- tored by a dedicated care team, including pharmacists, who manage medications according to the latest evidence-based guidelines, and health coaches, who pro- vide education and support on lifestyle and other social factors. This is a continu- ous care model that allows us to identify trends and be proactive to prevent issues, while also increasing our engagement with patients without requiring them to see us. It is built around the needs of patients and is designed for their convenience. The program works. Studies show that more than 79 percent of patients who pre- viously had out of control blood pressure levels achieved their control goals within six months of entering the program, com- pared to 26 percent of patients following the traditional, episodic care model. The pro- gram also helped to increase medication adherence by 7.5 percent, compared with a 2 percent lower adherence in the usual care control group. These outcomes have led to reductions in emergency room visits and inpatient admissions, resulting in reductions in the overall cost of care. Patients and doc- tors love it. Our recent Net Promoter Score survey revealed an exceptional rating of 78, and patients consistently tell us the program is convenient, easy to use, and makes them feel supported and empowered to make changes to improve their health. We have also seen significant results in our Diabetes Digital Medicine and Con- nectedMOM (Maternity Online Monitoring) programs, as well as in our efforts utilizing artificial intelligence to prevent codes in the inpatient setting. What about ideas that don’t make the cut, but are interesting? Is there a process of sharing technology and ideas among other organizations? There are definitely many innovation opportunities out there, and certainly much need for innovation in healthcare, so we have to prioritize those opportunities where we can have the greatest impact to save and change more lives. We share our learnings with other organizations in a number of dif- ferent ways. We regularly host national and interna- tional health systems and technology orga- nizations at Ochsner to share our learnings and work with them, and also to learn from them. iO’s Medical Director, Dr. Richard Milani, and our team regularly publish the results of our work in peer-reviewed jour- nals. We also speak at national and interna- tional conferences and participate in mul- tiple national innovation networks where best practices are shared. Is an innovation company with a large health- care company something you would recom- mend to smaller healthcare organizations? Should there be a certain capacity to justify the efforts? Every organization, regardless of size or industry, needs to be focused on innovation. The world around us is changing quickly, “Our recent Net Promoter Score survey revealed an exceptional rating of 78, and patients consistently tell us the program is convenient, easy to use, and makes them feel supported and empowered to make changes to improve their health.”