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Closing the Care Gap

In a major development for patient care, Grapefruit Health has launched a partnership with New England Inpatient Specialists (NEIS), a leading hospitalist group in the Northeast United States. This collaboration aims to enhance patient post-discharge services, significantly leading to a remarkable reduction in hospital readmissions. Through their combined efforts, Grapefruit Health has successfully managed thousands of patient follow-ups over the past six months, while also laying the groundwork for substantial expansion plans targeted for the first half of 2025.

The Challenge

With an alarming healthcare staffing shortage exceeding 3.2 million positions in the U.S., many patients miss critical follow-up calls that can prevent unnecessary readmissions. Research indicates that only 20-25% of patients receive these essential follow-ups due to limited resources. NEIS recognized the pressing need for additional support in this area to ensure patient satisfaction and minimize readmissions. However, they faced obstacles in establishing an outbound patient engagement system due to resource limitations and regulatory concerns surrounding offshore call centers.

After thorough evaluation, NEIS chose to partner with Grapefruit Health, citing their ability to deliver quality services at a lower cost and higher scalability.

The Solution

Grapefruit Health sprang into action, implementing their technology-driven services within a mere four weeks. Their dedicated team of Patient Champions, primarily clinical students, makes follow-up attempts up to three times within 48 hours post-discharge. During these outreach calls, the Patient Champions address vital patient needs regarding prescriptions, discharge protocols, and home care services.

Should any challenges arise, such as the need for care escalation, these issues are swiftly referred to the relevant NEIS provider. Additionally, patients requiring further assistance from their primary care provider (PCP) are also referred and, where possible, scheduled through access to the PCP’s scheduling system.

Understanding the importance of gaining insights into patient satisfaction, NEIS asked Grapefruit Health to collect feedback on patient experiences. This was incorporated complimentary, allowing Grapefruit Health to add three essential Press Ganey survey questions at the end of each interaction.

Results

The results from this collaboration are impressive, demonstrating tangible improvements in patient care and operational efficiency. Within the first three months, Grapefruit Health not only met but exceeded the set success metrics:

• - 3 hours of daily operational time saved
• - 13% reduction in readmission rates for Medicare beneficiaries
• - More than 12 essential care gaps closed weekly with hundreds of referrals back to PCPs
• - An 81% completion rate for calls, with a total reach rate of 65%
• - Costing 33% less than the traditional use of Registered Nurses for follow-ups

These metrics illustrate Grapefruit Health’s effectiveness in creating a sustainable model for patient engagement that not only improves outcomes but also enhances patient satisfaction.

About NEIS

Founded in 2005 as a small program with just six physicians, NEIS has evolved into a robust clinical enterprise with links to multiple hospitals. With plans for continuous expansion, NEIS prides itself on being at the technological forefront while delivering top-notch healthcare services.

About Grapefruit Health

Grapefruit Health is dedicated to tackling the healthcare workforce shortage by forming a national team of clinical students who work remotely to help institutions like NEIS fill crucial care gaps. They deliver a variety of services that emphasize direct patient interaction to enhance healthcare delivery outcomes, including medication adherence support and health risk assessments.

For more information, visit Grapefruit Health's website or contact them directly for inquiries.

By implementing innovative patient engagement strategies, Grapefruit Health and NEIS are pioneering a new standard in patient care that others in the industry can aspire to replicate.