The human arsenal is known for a myriad of different things, but most importantly, it is known for getting better on a consistent basis. This dynamic, in particular, has already fetched us some huge milestones, with technology appearing as a major member of the stated group. The reason why technology enjoys such an esteemed stature among people is down to its skill-set, which realized all the possibilities for us that we couldn’t have imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, if we look a little bit closer, it should become clear how the whole runner was also very much inspired by the way we applied those skills across a real-world environment. The latter component was, in fact, what gave the creation a spectrum-wide presence, including a timely appearance on our healthcare block. Technology’s foray into healthcare was perfect with its timing, as it came right when the sector was beginning to struggle against its obsolete structure. This reality, fortunately though, went through a complete overhaul under the new regime, but even after achieving such a monumental feat, the new and budding medtech avenue will somehow continue to bring all the right goods to the table. The same is now only becoming more and more evident, and truth be told, a newly-formed partnership should do a lot to keep that trend well and truly alive.
WebMD Provider Services has officially teamed up with Artera to improve the access to patient educational content and medication affordability programs. To give you some context here, Artera provides technology “that allows facilities to engage with their patients outside of the point of care in a streamlined and unified manner.” On the other hand, WebMD has made a name for itself by educating people through a huge expanse of healthcare information. Hence, a partnership allows both companies to complement each other’s capabilities, and consequentially, achieve a more informed healthcare landscape. But how will the whole operation work? Well, under the agreed terms, Artera will basically use its patient communication software, along with its provider network, to bring WebMD’s information pool in front of a wider audience. However, mind you, it won’t be one of those one-way communication models. With the help of a text-centric system, the partners will give users an option to respond back. Let’s say, your provider sent you some educational content that is supposedly tailored to your condition, but it doesn’t consider certain important aspects of the same. So, what you can do is respond back and raise your concern straight away. A member of provider’s staff will see the notification and resolve your query at the earliest.
“The benefits of effective education in improving health outcomes is undeniable, yet gaps in communication – usually pre- and post-appointment – often leave patients without information at key points in their journey,” said Ann Bilyew, SVP, Health and Group GM, WebMD Provider Services. “Artera’s platform is a highly effective means for reaching individuals with relevant and appropriate education from WebMD. Together, we are closing that gap to ensure providers can present patients with the most relevant information, based on the point in their care journey.”
The partners chose a text-based model mainly because it has shown to achieve high-engagement levels. This was also visible in a study conducted by Artera, a study which covered more than 94,000 patients. For half of them, Artera honored patient preferences in the EHR, meaning it did not text them if they had opted out of text messaging. In the remaining patient’s case, though, the company ignored the patient preferences and texted them anyway, and going by the available details, a bigger chunk of patients with “no texting” preferences in the EHR did not actually opt out once they received a text from their provider.
