The UbiBlog | Patient Engagement and Value-Based Care Analysis

You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure

Written by Betsy Weaver, Ed.D. | Jul 29, 2015 3:47:00 PM

Why is it so hard to understand—and apply—this concept?

With good information (i.e., reliable data) that is easily accessible, you have the power to change the world. Well, perhaps not the entire world, but your own part of it!

The bottom line here is simple and one that we, the UbiCrew, live by.

If you follow it and watch it, you can improve it for sure.

For our clients, that “it” is patient engagement, education and outcomes, in other words, health. For the UbiCrew, it ranges from helping hospitals do better and meet their goals to making our world and ourselves a little healthier. 

Where too many of us fail is in not paying attention to the data and following trends—whether about how well our patients are engaging with our hospital or how well we are maintaining our own health.

Recently, a member of our UbiCrew posted this infographic on our company refrigerator. It was an “eye-opener” for many of us. We were reminded of how we can improve our health with simple tricks like walking around the office or giving our eyes a break from the computer screen. (And yes, I just did as I wrote this.)


Click to see full infographic
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Do you need an eye-opener or just a little nudge to look at the data?

If you’re a UbiCare client, each month you get summarized data about how, when and where your patients are engaging with you online. It includes open and engagement rates, how people rate your hospital and patient feedback just to name a few items measured.

 

Above: Sample data from UbiCare monthly reports

 

This is a powerful way to impact population health!

You could easily look at how small segments of patients behave. For example:

  •       Do you know who is opening their two-way digital messages before a hospital stay but not after? Or after, but not before?
  •       How can you leverage this knowledge to improve outcomes?
  •       Are more activated patients more compliant?
  •       Can you give disengaged patients some TLC and activate them?

The answer to all of these questions is, “Yes!” if you measure it and follow it.

And finally, I encourage you to ask yourselves one more question: What one small change can you make to prove the impact of your patient education systems?

Call me at  617-524-8861 and we’ll do it together. Ask for Betsy and say that you want proof of impact. I challenge you!