GetWellNetwork to Launch Person Engagement Index at Beryl Institute Patient Experience Conference

New tool enables personalized care management plans based on health engagement capacity levels

DENVER, CO – March 20, 2017 — GetWellNetwork^®, Inc., the leader in Interactive Patient Care™ (IPC) solutions, will launch a new tool to help clinicians personalize care management plans based on a person’s capacity to be engaged in their health care. Researchers from GetWellNetwork’s O’Neil Center will officially introduce the Person Engagement Index ™ (PEI) on Tuesday, March 21, at The Beryl Institute’s Patient Experience Conference 2017 in Denver, Colo., during a session titled, “Person Engagement Index: Measuring a Person’s Capacity to Engage in their Healthcare.”

“Ultimately, we envision PEI scores sitting front and center in clinical charts and EHRs for millions of patients across the world,” said Michael O’Neil, founder and chief executive officer of GetWellNetwork. “Armed with this unique, patient-centered data point, clinicians will be empowered in real time to prescribe more personalized interventions and meet patients where they are in their care journey. Along with our research partners, we are incredibly excited for the rollout and future impact of this work.”

Research demonstrates that actively engaging patients and their families in the care process can significantly improve health care outcomes. Yet clinicians and care managers lack consistent insight into factors that can influence a person’s ability to engage, such as willingness to be proactive, knowledge of health status, motivation, aptitude for technology use for health care and level of psychosocial support for health care.

During the conference session, lead researchers Karen Drenkard, Ph.D., RN, NE-BA, senior vice president and chief clinical and nursing officer at GetWellNetwork, and Ellen Swartwout, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, vice president of research at GetWellNetwork, will outline for clinicians an evidence-based approach for determining how to assess a person’s capacity to engage.

The Person Engagement Index: Capturing the Voice of the Patient
The PEI assigns a numerical index “score” to a patient, which represents a comprehensive measure of a person’s capacity to engage in their health care. It was developed using evidence from an extensive literature review of the current state of practice in patient and family engagement, then tested and validated with hundreds of patients in a multi-site study across four health care systems in the US. Paired with clinical assessment information, the PEI allows for actionable care plan interventions to meet each patient’s needs and enable providers to deploy resources where they are needed most.

The 18-question PEI survey assesses and scores four key factors: engagement in health care, technology use in health care, proactive approach to health care and psychosocial support for health care. By understanding a person’s PEI score and key factors for engagement, clinicians can prescribe the most appropriate care to improve an individual’s outcomes.

“Clinicians often see hundreds of patients and have only 15 minutes per patient to determine their capacity to be engaged in their care journey,” said Drenkard. “There is a need for a way to help them accurately assess a person’s aptitude for engaging in their own health care.”

The PEI can be used strategically by clinicians to identify how best to engage and educate patients; by population health and care managers to improve risk stratification with PEI variables; and by marketing and patient experience officers to understand how best to communicate with each patient, resulting in a personalized, memorable experience.

Product Demos
Interested parties can learn their own PEI score by taking the survey in the GetWellNetwork booth located in the Diamond exhibit. Beryl conference attendees are invited to celebrate the launch of PEI on Monday, March 20, during exhibitor receptions at 4:45 p.m. in the GetWellNetwork booth.

About GetWellNetwork
GetWellNetwork, Inc.® powers patient experience. Our solution, The Patient’s Platform, helps leading health care systems create connections with patients in any setting, deliver insights to clinicians in real time, and transform care through an evidence-based model for patient engagement. Our open technology integrates with electronic health record and IT applications to extend the value of existing investments and expand the possibilities of care. With more than 50 million patient interactions per year, we drive performance improvement, positive outcomes and patient loyalty. Learn more at www.getwellnetwork.com.

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