UAB Medicine Deploys Digital Care Journeys for Gynecology to Optimize Enhanced Recovery Program Resulting in a Reduction of 30-Day Readmission Rates by 50%

In 2018 UAB Medicine, one of the top academic medical centers in the United States, partnered with SeamlessMD, a leading Digital Care Journey platform, to augment their Enhanced Recovery Program (ERP) strategy by digitally engaging and monitoring patients undergoing gynecology oncology surgery. Always looking to improve, UAB believed that a Digital Patient Engagement platform would better standardize the delivery of ERP patient education, improve patient compliance with ERP protocols and automate the collection of ERP-related Patient-reported Outcomes (PROs).

By digitally engaging gynecology patients through a mobile and web-enabled app that can be accessed through the patient’s own smart device or computer, patients are self-guided from pre-admission preparation through post-discharge recovery with evidence-based ERP gynecology pathways including education, reminders, and daily health checks. Through the utilization of Digital Care Journeys for Gynecology, UAB amplified their Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) success to achieve:

• ↓19% Average Length of Stay
• ↓50% 30-day Readmissions
• 95% of patients would recommend SeamlessMD
• 93% who said SeamlessMD helped them feel more confident post-procedure
• 84% of patients preferred education received via SeamlessMD to printed ERP materials
• 31% of patients noted that SeamlessMD helped avoid calls to their healthcare team
• 5% of patients reported that SeamlessMD helped them to avoid an ED visit

Based on these outcomes, the implementation of SeamlessMD has led to improved clinical outcomes, particularly regarding the reduction of the average length of stay and readmissions.

Dr. Haller Smith, UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, shared “The response we’ve received about SeamlessMD from our patients and staff have been overwhelmingly positive. Patients have consistently reported greater satisfaction with their surgical experience, having convenient access to an extensive educational library helping to improve patient self-management. SeamlessMD has been a key partner in our hospital’s strategy to deliver a cutting edge, digital experience throughout the patient journey. The use of remote monitoring and alerts in order to consistently engage with patients beyond the four walls of the hospital were a key factor in reducing readmissions, and length of stay, while improving the hospital’s ERP efforts."

Here is what UAB’s patients like most about the program:

• I liked the idea of "checking off" my daily health progress. On the days when my mood and energy level were "off" it eased my mind that I was indeed healing.
• Each day the set of questions I answered helped me know what to expect during my recovery. If my body or mine wasn't in line with the recovery expectations, I would know right away by the answers I gave.

‍Read the full case study for more insights on how UAB improved the experience for gynecology patients, optimized their enhanced recovery program, and reduced the strain on staff through the deployment of a clinically-validated digital care journey platform.