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How Healthcare Providers Can Prepare for the COVID Stimulus Bill

Last month, Congress passed President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, a bill totaling $1.9 trillion in relief funds and many are wondering what positive impacts may be seen in healthcare. This most recent bill differs from the two previous COVID-relief packages signed. This funding package does not directly make the healthcare industry the primary beneficiary, instead, funnels money into other areas of society, attempting to ease the economic distress caused by COVID-19. Examples include expansion of the child tax credit and additional funding to states, local governments, territories, and tribal governments, and schools.

  That being said, the healthcare industry will still see a direct, positive impact from this legislation. At the heart of this pandemic, healthcare institutions have been tested from a variety of angles. Issues like resource availability, information communication, and general revenue-building have been strained. As the novel coronavirus has changed everyday health and social norms, healthcare providers are still trying to navigate ways in which to best protect their communities while also ensuring they receive the routine and acute care that is necessary.

  With every COVID relief package that is passed, new opportunities and resources become available to both healthcare providers and patients, helping better accelerate healthcare outcomes. Here are three ways the latest stimulus bill could affect healthcare institutions.

  More Money For Consumers Could Mean More Doctor Visits

  The American Rescue Plan Act gave qualifying individuals $1,400 for personal use. Additionally, $300 weekly unemployment insurance has been extended through September 6 and provides full coverage of COBRA insurance premiums through the September month.

  This influx of available money is sure to reach healthcare providers, as many individuals are delaying specific medical care due to a lack of funds. With more cash on hand, it is fair to assume doctor visits will increase, especially as vaccine rollouts continue. Not only that, many Americans are sitting on unpaid or pending medical expenses that need to be settled. Healthcare institutions can predict to see more medical bills paid in part or full, as this extra capital hits bank accounts.

  Additional Importance On Retaining Patient Volume

  Healthcare provider groups lobbied Congress as they negotiated the $1.9 trillion bill. They pushed hard for three main inductions in the bill:

  An additional $35 billion for the Provider Relief Fund (PRF)

  Extend the moratorium on the 2 percent Medicare payment cuts set to expire on March 31

  Delay the looming 4 percent Medicare cuts called for under the PAYGO rules

  The relief package does not include any of these asks. However, in the short-term, thanks to the previous COVID relief package, the Cares Act, most hospitals and other healthcare institutions are remaining in the black. The direct funding from the Cares Act provided immediate financial help via grants and loans to those institutions in the most need. With billions of dollars still remaining in the PRF, legislators decided against allocating more money into this fund, opting to push it into various other sectors.

  Yet, looking further into 2021 and beyond, healthcare institutions will need to be conscious of returning to patient volumes of pre-pandemic times. If hospital beds once again fill up with COVID patients, revenue sources could quickly become scarce, as a run on PRF money could leave many institutions struggling. In addition, the 4 percent Medicare cuts under PAYGO rules lessen provider reimbursement — further exacerbating the need for institutions to focus on having an “income possible” patient volume.

  More People Covered Under The ACA and Medicaid

  This relief package signed in a temporary two-year expansion of the Affordable Care Act, addressing some affordability issues facing the program. Now, individuals with annual incomes over 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) can qualify for subsidies to offset the cost of purchasing coverage on the ACA’s exchanges. This allows individuals falling into this group to have their premium costs be capped at 8.5 percent of their incomes for two years. The bill also fully subsidizes coverage for people with annual incomes up to 150% FPL for two years.

  Additionally, the legislation incentivizes states that have not expanded their Medicaid coverage under the ACA to do so with a 5 percent FMAP bump for the states’ non-expansion population. This would lead to more individuals being seen by doctors, and help providers reduce their care rate of the uninsured.

  How to Be Ready For The Healthcare Related Effects

  As a provider, there are several pain points you experience on a daily basis. In the current climate, these issues are only amplified by COVID. Problems centering around patient communication often are bottlenecks for providers delivering the necessary care to their communities. As the impact of this most recent COVID-relief bill begins to hit the healthcare industry, a low-maintenance, convenient solution does exist to help best prepare for the effects — healthcare chatbots.

  Chatbot technology like Quincy is specifically designed for the provider-patient relationship. The platform is able to handle a variety of tasks and a near-limitless workload, all enhancing the provider possibilities, increasing patient satisfaction and safety, and helping boost profit margins. Now doctors, nurses, and related staff have more time to focus on bigger tasks, not related to more nuanced communication needs.

  Here are a few ways a chatbot can help in the COVID-era:

  Patient Self-Scheduling

  Patient self-scheduling is a necessary part of the healthcare experience in today’s climate. When patients can schedule their own appointments on their own time, this improves their overall experience. There is no need to call or email, and wait for a response. Appointment times can quickly be seen, selected, and confirmed — all with a couple of clicks.

  In specific relation to COVID, vaccine doses are becoming more readily available to larger portions of the population. Handling inquiries and appointments for vaccine administration is a tall task. Bots like Quincy are equipped to help with this process — ensuring that patients can get an appointment scheduled when times become available, and deliver all necessary information to them.

  Curbside Check-in

  In an effort to social distance and protect patients, most healthcare institutions and providers are limiting how many individuals may be inside at a time. Instead of walking to the front door, or calling the front desk, chatbots are able to make curbside check-in simple and hassle-free. When a patient arrives, they can notify the bot of their arrival and the corresponding healthcare team member will be notified. This saves time and helps best ensure the health and safety of all parties involved.

  Virtual Visits Done On The Fly

  Telehealth appointments are another critical component of healthcare services right now — and are predicted to remain that way post-pandemic. With a chatbot platform, providers now have a dedicated way to help manage their virtual appointments and care of patients. Chatbots can remind patients of an upcoming visit, send links to join the virtual patient room, follow up with doctor notes and recommendations, and more. This technology helps reduce provider time spent on paperwork, allowing for more face-to-face interaction with patients.

  QliqSOFT and Healthcare Chatbots

  Secure communication is at the core of everything we do here at QliqSOFT. Our secure chatbot, Quincy, combines artificial intelligence and live-agent interaction to provide modern healthcare solutions for both patients and providers. If your organization is looking to take a leap into the future of clinical care, contact us today.

  The post How Healthcare Providers Can Prepare for the COVID Stimulus Bill appeared first on QliqSOFT.

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Virtual Visits Continue to Grow in Popularity

How to Provide Quality Healthcare Without Masks or Barriers

  The COVID-19 pandemic has many more healthcare providers and their patients continuing to embrace telehealth services. This enables the treatment of many more patients while also providing a high-level of patient care that also improves operational efficiencies.

   Virtual Visits allow healthcare providers to achieve many things such as:

  Reducing staff burn-out

  Decreasing call volumes by as much as 80%

  Diagnosing and treating more patients safely and where they are

  Providing 24/7 access via phone, video, secure text messaging, and email

  Reducing costs for both providers and patients

  Providing wider access to timely quality healthcare

   Improving chronic disease management

  With more than 70%* of patients being open to telehealth services and virtual doctor visits, this trend of telehealth and virtual visits utilization is expected to continue to increase and complement traditional necessary in-person patient care. Educating and encouraging patients about telehealth and its benefits will continue to drive both adoption and usage.

  Thousands of healthcare providers who have seen success from virtual visits are more than ever scaling up their operations by implementing newer technologies such as conversational secure-chatbots that allow more real-time scheduling, appointment reminders, patient follow-ups and all without face coverings or disease transmission.

  Now more than ever, healthcare providers, healthcare plans, and employers continue to embrace telehealth and virtual care and this upward trend is reflected in their bottom-line results. 

  Recently, Fortune reported, there have been more than 110 million interactions between physicians and patients “done via smartphone, videoconferencing, kiosks, and other technology tools.”

  Technology advances in the Healthcare industry is not only improving the healthcare industry, but also advancing quality patient healthcare nationwide, allowing quality healthcare to virtually anyone, wherever they are, safely and securely.

  QliqSOFT’s Solution to Telehealth and Quality Virtual Visits

  Here at QliqSOFT, we are helping advance the healthcare community, while keeping patients and providers digitally safe. Our virtual visit solution provides face-to-face care to your patients anytime. Our technology allows clinicians to initiate a virtual visit request with a secure SMS text message, engage via video, and acquire electronic patient signatures on post-visit surveys to validate visit occurrence. All with no app to download, trusted security architecture, and real-time engagement.

  With simple to use, straightforward interfacing, implementing this technology across patient populations is done with ease. In addition, our healthcare chatbot solution, Quincy, is helping boost patient engagement and satisfaction across the country. Quincy has the ability to integrate with nearly any care setting you deem appropriate and every stage of the patient experience — from finding a doctor all the way to billing.

  There is no better time to expand your practice’s healthcare services. Contact us by phone, email or our online form so we can learn how we can help your practice acclimate into a new era of healthcare and share some of our customer success stories and use cases applicable to your healthcare practice and needs.

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How Chatbots Can Help With Home Healthcare & Hospice

The global home healthcare industry is valued at over $200 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8 percent between now and 2027. Unexpectedly, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the widespread implementation of telehealth and home healthcare visits.

As society becomes more infused with technology and convenience, home healthcare is expected to be a more mainstream choice by patients. This anticipated rise, however, does come with a variety of roadblocks that both providers and patients need to address for a smooth and successful transition.

With a traditional hospital, office, or clinic setting, many of these obstacles have already been addressed or are non-existent. Five areas that need to be examined as home healthcare grows:

Patient care preferences

Physician concerns

Patient safety

Necessary digital infrastructure

Regulatory environment

Potential Problems With Home Healthcare

Patient Care Preferences: More patients will be opting for home healthcare in the future. However, how do providers market this service and ensure consumer trust in the care and resources available to them? Additionally, a large segment of the population will still prefer in-office or hospital visits, as home healthcare may feel invasive, emotionally triggering, unreliable, or other reasoning. It is the job of providers and healthcare institutions to continue to provide optionality for patients and accommodate their concerns regarding individual health.

Physician Concerns: Another hurdle facing home healthcare centers around physicians, nurses, and support staff. Clinicians need to be financially rewarded, not disadvantaged, for the number of patients seen on a day-to-day basis. More patients can be seen in a traditional healthcare setting, but the shift to home health needs to monetarily incentivize physicians to be able to strictly focus on patient-outcomes versus patient quantity. Provider safety is another concern that needs to be looked at, as home health visits need to be safe for both parties. Having a quick way to quietly alert a supervisor or the authorities while maintaining a secure line of communication is essential to physical safety during a visit. Therefore, to serve disadvantaged populations, safety measures need to be put in place to protect providers.

Patient Safety: Home health presents several safety concerns that are more difficult to control compared to a traditional care facility setting. Physical layout, sanitation, and infection control are all possible hazards to patients with home health visits. Providers need to be equipped to make any home health procedures or treatment safe (without going out of their way to create an adequate healthcare setting).

Necessary Digital Infrastructure: A dedicated and secure home health infrastructure needs to be created that makes the job easier for providers in regards to documentation, procedure implementation, and more. Likewise, this infrastructure needs to accommodate patient needs as well — providing an engaging and easy-to-use interface for communication, payments, and more.

Regulatory Environment: Maybe most importantly, as home healthcare moves into the mainstream, consistent regulations and protocols need to be drafted, implemented, and followed to ensure the success of this service. Both from a state and federal level, measurable and definable guidelines need to be put in place. From how information is recorded to what is appropriate patient-provider interaction within a personal setting — and more. A repeatable regulatory environment needs to be created for the benefit of all parties.

How Chatbot Technology Can Solve Home Healthcare Issues

As healthcare institutions move to build out their home health services, it would be wise to explore how chatbots can be leveraged to make the offering safer, more convenient, and more successful.

The use of chatbot technology within the healthcare industry has quickly become a popular choice by institutions due to the versatility and effectiveness they provide. While chatbots are increasingly being used to help reduce the workloads for staff relating to tasks like scheduling and billing, the potential for other usage continues.

Here are four direct benefits chatbots can provide:

Ensure Healthcare Provider Safety

Chatbot technology can be used as a check-in resource for providers. By having chatbots communicate with providers to ask about patient demeanor, location safety, time spent with a patient, and other factors — then healthcare institutions can have a look into the environment and feelings providers may have regarding each home visit. Therefore, if concern or uneasiness is to arise, a provider can alert the healthcare institution or local authorities for help.

Patient Convenience

Chatbots have helped bring new life to patient engagement. With dedicated one-on-one assistance, patients can quickly and easily complete various tasks or receive information. For example, through this technology, patients may be able to have their symptoms checked without visiting or calling their doctor. Based upon the determined results, a chatbot can recommend a treatment course or schedule an at-home or in-office visit with a doctor if necessary — eliminating a lot of the hassle associated with healthcare from the patient perspective, and in turn, theoretically improving overall patient wellbeing.

Secure Communication

Chatbots also have the potential to resolve communication roadblocks associated with home healthcare. Through HIPAA compliant data security, chatbots have the power to act as a safe intermediary between provider and patient. Additionally, chatbots may in function be used as an assistant to providers during home health visits by capturing data and reporting follow-up.

Billing Management & Efficiency

Lastly, chatbot technology can handle billing payments and questions for patients. By eliminating the need to call or visit in-person to make payments or have discrepancies resolved — a more streamlined process is available, making the experience more enjoyable for both patients and healthcare staff.

QliqSOFT Can Answer Your Chatbot Questions

QlipSOFT’s platform and chatbot, Quincy, provides organizations and healthcare providers a secure, user-friendly application that goes beyond HIPAA complaint minimum standards. In doing so, we have developed a software program that is designed to improve your security practices while also enhancing your group’s communication habits and efficiency.

Contact us today at (866) 295-0451 about a free demo, or how to start implementing our technology at your health company!

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Coryell Health Leverages QliqSOFT Chatbot Tech to Deliver COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Scheduling

  DALLAS, TEXAS, USA, February 25, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Coryell Health, a community-owned healthcare organization located in Gatesville, Texas, and QliqSOFT, Inc. the industry leader in patient and provider engagement solutions, today announced the results of Coryell Health’s healthcare chatbot initiative.

  Coryell Health, which serves as the primary COVID-19 testing administrator for Coryell County tests anywhere from 400 to 700 patients daily for the virus. After testing, staff must conduct follow-up, results reporting, and contact tracing necessary to keep patients informed and safe. Initially, the follow-up required 1:1 phone calls for each person tested.

  “Depending on the day, it would typically take four to six people, anywhere from eight to ten hours a day to complete the follow-up phone calls,” said Crystal Cooper, Nursing Manager “And that was time on top of their normal clinical responsibilities.”

  “We know that healthcare technology tools only become healthcare solutions when they’re accessible, scalable, interoperable, and an adjunct to the existing workflow.“

Krishna Kurapati

  Seeking to find operational efficiencies that would save both their overwhelmed staff and patients anxious for COVID-19 testing results, Coryell Health turned to technology partner, QliqSOFT and an emerging solution for healthcare – chatbots.

  “We already rely on QliqSOFT for Secure Messaging internally, and we began using their Virtual Visit platform successfully last fall. Now it was time to see if their Quincy Healthcare Chatbots could be the solution to automating our patient engagement,” said Heather Rambeau, Chief Nursing Officer, Coryell Health. “The results were phenomenal, within 5 days we were live and our clinical staff was able to refocus on quality care and allow the chatbot to deliver COVID-19 results and follow-up information to patients in a very personalized, conversational way.”

  Patients receive an SMS text on their smartphone with a secure link to the chatbot and from there they can access their test results, education, and documentation for their work/school records if needed. This frictionless workflow allowed Coryell Health to begin reporting 100% of results within 24 hours. Other key initiative success milestones included:

    Decreased man-hours of clinical staff needed by ~200 hours per week

Reduced outbound phone calls by more than 19%

Captured 60 hours of “recovered time” for primary care per week

Achieved a projected $78K per year ROI on one single use case

  “Based on the tremendous results we’ve seen and the willingness of our patients to engage with this technology, we have already undertaken our second healthcare chatbot initiative, using the technology provided by QliqSOFT to facilitate patient self-scheduling of the COVID-19 vaccine,” Heather announced. “And I’m pleased to report that within the first 48 hours of launching this second bot, more than 450 of our available 700 vaccine appointment slots have been filled.”

  Full results of the Coryell Health Chatbot initiative can be viewed in the industry case study published by QliqSOFT here.

  QliqSOFT’s Healthcare Chatbot Solution, known as Quincy, is able to deliver turnkey success to customers by harnessing the power of its intuitive chatbot design studio. The studio allows healthcare organizations to design and deploy brandable chatbots to their patient population via SMS, Email, QR Code, and other modalities without months of coding and AI expertise required.

  “We know that healthcare technology tools only become healthcare solutions when they’re accessible, scalable, interoperable, and an adjunct to the existing workflow,” said Krishna Kurapati CEO and founder of QliqSOFT. “If it requires large IT teams to build, can’t be deployed rapidly, doesn’t talk to other systems, or requires that new workflows be implemented to meet the tech where it is – it simply doesn’t work for this industry. We considered all of those things when developing our healthcare chatbots, and it’s why you see the success at Coryell happening so quickly. We could not be more proud of what they’re achieving.”

  About Coryell Health

Coryell Health is a community-owned healthcare organization located in Gatesville, Texas. On one central campus, patients have access to a wide range of health services including, but not limited to a 25-bed licensed hospital, a Level IV Trauma Center emergency room with primary and specialty care providers, an advanced wound care center, a state-of-the-art outpatient rehabilitation center, a skilled nursing facility with long-term care and inpatient rehabilitation, and assisted living and independent living apartments. Coryell Health is committed to patient-focused care with the latest medical technology while providing a place of healing and comfort for our patients, their families, and the community we serve.

  About QliqSOFT, Inc.

QliqSOFT addresses the communication needs of healthcare organizations via its secure, scalable, modular Virtual Care Platform. The HIPAA-compliant platform, composed of QliqCONNECT Secure Messaging, AI-driven Quincy healthcare chatbots, on-demand Virtual-Visits, and real-time GPS-enabled resource management solution Visit Path, delivers an average of 1.2 million clinical messages exchanged across the U.S. daily and more than 6 months of live virtual care performed every 180 minutes. To learn more, visit www.qliqsoft.com.

  Ben Henson QliqSOFT, Inc. +1 770-688-4689 email us here

  The post Coryell Health Leverages QliqSOFT Chatbot Tech to Deliver COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Scheduling appeared first on QliqSOFT.

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QliqSOFT, Cloudbreak Health Remove Barriers to Care with Integration of Video Interpretation Service

  DALLAS, TEXAS, USA, February 23, 2021 / — QliqSOFT, Inc., specializing in HIPAA-compliant clinical collaboration and patient communication solutions, and Cloudbreak Health, LLC (“Cloudbreak”), a leading telehealth and video remote interpretation solutions provider, today announced a strategic partnership to enhance patient engagement by reducing language barriers in healthcare. The partnership includes integration between QliqSOFT’s Virtual Visit telehealth platform and Martti, Cloudbreak’s video remote interpretation (VRI) service. Combined, the two solutions will ensure patients who are limited English proficient (LEP), Deaf, and hard of hearing, along with their providers, have access to high-quality telehealth language services in over 250 languages.

  The QliqSOFT and Cloudbreak Martti partnership is a great tool for us as we strive for health equity.

— Chineye Anako, Trinity Health of New England 

  “Disparities in healthcare have never been more obvious than during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Krishna Kurapati, QliqSOFT Founder and CEO. “Telehealth has proven to be a great equalizer to providing that patient access, but language is a hurdle many have not considered, though numerous language access laws provide this guidance. QliqSOFT’s partnership with Cloudbreak will breakdown language barriers and ensure all patients, regardless of which language they speak or their ability to hear, have equitable, remote access to care.”

  We are passionate about bridging healthcare disparities and providing Virtual Remote Interpretation at every point in the care continuum.” Says Cloudbreak Health co-founder and COO, Andy Panos. “That’s why we’ve focused our efforts on making Martti easy to use and easy to integrate. This partnership with QliqSOFT’s, and integration with their platform, will help to further address inequities in care while bringing language access to wherever patients need it. We’re proud to link arms with QliqSOFT and continue advocating for equity in healthcare.”

  The inclusion of Martti is the latest enhancement to QliqSOFT’s Virtual Visit solution, which combines chatbot technology, text-based translation, and video-conferencing to deliver millions of minutes worth of telehealth visits to patients each year.

  “The QliqSOFT and Cloudbreak Martti partnership is a great tool for us as we strive for health equity,” says Chineye Anako, Regional Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Trinity Health of New England. “Language access is so important to those we serve. We look forward to being able to reach our limited English proficient, Deaf, and hard of hearing population with telehealth will help us continue to keep our community safe, healthy, and well informed. This is the future of healthcare.”

  About QliqSOFT

  QliqSOFT addresses the communication needs of healthcare organizations via its secure, scalable, modular Virtual Care Platform. The HIPAA-compliant platform, composed of QliqCONNECT Secure Messaging, AI-driven Quincy healthcare chatbots, on-demand Virtual-Visits, and real-time GPS-enabled resource management solution Visit Path, delivers an average of 1.2 million clinical messages exchanged across the U.S. daily and more than 6 months of live virtual care performed every 180 minutes. To learn more, visit www.qliqsoft.com.

  About Cloudbreak Health

  Cloudbreak Health (www.cloudbreak.us) revolutionized patient and provider communication with the introduction of video remote interpreting (VRI), establishing Cloudbreak as a pioneer in telehealth technology. Cloudbreak Health continues to innovate with Cloudbreak Telehealth Solutions, including telepsychiatry, telestroke, tele-quarantine, remote patient monitoring and other specialties. Committed to overcoming healthcare disparities and bringing language access to the point of care, Cloudbreak Health seamlessly integrates their language access solution, Martti, into a host of platforms, including Epic, Zoom, and Caregility. Performing more than 1.5 million minutes of telemedicine consultation each month on over 14,000 video endpoints at 1,800+ healthcare locations nationwide, Cloudbreak Telehealth simplifies how providers care for patients, putting a full care continuum at their fingertips 24/7. Follow Cloudbreak on Twitter @cloudbreakhlth or the hashtag #HumanizeHealthcare.

  Media Contacts:

Cat McAlpine Product Marketing Analyst Cloudbreak Health, LLC info@cloudbreak.us

  Ben Henson QliqSOFT, Inc. +1 770-688-4689

  The post QliqSOFT, Cloudbreak Health Remove Barriers to Care with Integration of Video Interpretation Service appeared first on QliqSOFT.

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In a World of Pandemics and Freak Texas Blizzards, it’s Time to Review Your Disaster Communication Plan.

In many parts of Texas and other nearby Southern states, unprecedented severe weather can threaten the health, safety, and ability of healthcare providers to rapidly assist patients who are unable to care for themselves. There is no better time for healthcare systems and providers to update disaster and emergency management plans. Consider leveraging newer, secure technology solutions such as healthcare chatbots, secure text messaging, virtual visits, and remote patient monitoring (RPM) to reach more patients wherever they are.

  Keys to Disaster Communication Planning

  Secure texting, as a component of healthcare disaster communication, is growing in popularity across the healthcare spectrum, allowing clinicians to exchange patient information among themselves and other care team members without risking a hefty HIPAA violation.

  Before the disaster event: In those times when eminent disasters are known, consider adding disaster-management-focused teams or subgroups in your Qliq account for planning and communication. Utilizing secure texting as a key part of your communication policy during storms allows you to increase your commitment to patients who are unable to care for themselves. Additionally, secure texting can be used for scheduled employee check-ins in case telephone communication is offline. Learn more about how secure texting is now a key component in proactive disaster communications HERE.

  During the disaster event: In the midst of a disaster, secure texting should be used by designated admins to provide updates on current conditions as well as to issue travel advisories for nurses in the field. During long-term events, schedules and changes in responsibility can be easily managed by secure texting. To learn more about how Qliq Secure Texting can be part of your Emergency Preparedness Planning, CLICK HERE to request a demo.

  After the disaster event: Once an event has passed, every organization’s top priority should be to assess the damage, begin recovery efforts, and start to resume normal operations. This, however, can only occur if levels of devastation are manageable. Severe power outages and impassable roads can make it difficult to resume operations. In these situations, secure texting can provide quick and easy communication ranging from basic reminders of HIPAA compliance over non-secure channels to first aid and key points of awareness for heat exhaustion of patients. LEARN MORE about our secure texting app technology keeps your healthcare practice HIPPA Compliant.

  Beyond Texting

During these disasters, your clinicians need to reach patients who can’t leave their home. Sometimes texting isn’t enough and a visual assessment is needed. Learn more about our Virtual Visit platform that doesn’t require any app downloads or portal logins and provides a frictionless patient experience. We can help you reach your patients today!

  Additional Disaster Plan Resources for the Healthcare Community:

5 Steps to an Effective Disaster Communications Plan

Seven Don’ts and One Do for Your Disaster Recovery Plan

Learn more about our Secure Healthcare Solutions – Contact Us for more information or Request a No Obligation Demo Today!

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5 Great Benefits of AI & Chatbots for Healthcare Providers

Healthcare is on the move. It is becoming more integrated with technology every day, causing healthcare institutions to re-evaluate their way of business. Successful healthcare will always hinge on providing patients with the best care possible. Yet, as patient expectations change, healthcare institutions need to be able to quickly evolve to deliver a fully engaged patient-focused experience. 

While some are slower to infuse cutting edge technology into their institutions, those who are investing in upcoming tech are seeing positive results in both outcomes and patient satisfaction. One straightforward, but customizable technology that is becoming a popular addition is chatbots.

This algorithm-based solution provides healthcare institutions with a variety of key benefits that increase efficiency, drive better patient interaction, and reduce overall workload. This technology, in-time, acts as a money-saving tool, opening more investment opportunities for institutions down the line — but continues to make a direct impact in the present. 

Here are five great benefits to AI and chatbots for healthcare providers:

Immediate Customer Attention

Chatbots have made wait times a thing of the past. Instead of waiting for an email response, waiting to be taken off hold, or waiting in line, patients are able to receive immediate, direct customer service.

By communicating with a chatbot, patients are able to have a wide variety of concerns and questions answered instantly — providing them with applicable information or further instruction. Wait times often cause great frustration and even avoidance in seeking medical advice. With chatbot technology, patients are able to get questions answered quickly, with accurate consideration of proper next steps.

Symptom Checking

More intuitive chatbots have the ability to check a patient’s symptoms and recommend care or the need to seek further medical attention. This accessible function benefits both patients and providers by helping patients get quick answers and better filtering patient health concerns for physicians. By helping assess patient symptoms, a chatbot can determine if over-the-counter medication and rest is the best course of treatment, or if a larger issue is at hand — and in need of a face-to-face visit with a healthcare provider.

Appointment Scheduling & Reminders

A more repetitive and nuanced task that weighs down healthcare institutions centers around appointment scheduling and reminders. This is a critical, yet, burdensome task that continuously pulls team members away from higher priority tasks that need attention. 

For anyone that has worked in healthcare, they are aware that patient scheduling can be a revolving door of days, times, and requests. Managing these appointments by hand can lead to a greater chance of error and miscommunication between provider and patient. The use of a chatbot simplifies the process by allowing patients to easily pick or alter appointment dates and enables team members to allocate more time and resources to other duties.

Easy Payment & Billing Process

The vast majority of today’s consumers enjoy online billing and payment. It is secure, convenient, and simple. A chatbot provides an efficient solution to a necessary part of the healthcare process. By incorporating this technology, providers can significantly reduce patient billing inquiries — all while helping these patients understand their billing statements, address any related questions, and process their payments.

Improved Medication Adherence

Technology has acted as an aid in many regards — one being a checklist or alarm. One of the biggest issues healthcare providers run into is ensuring that patients accurately follow their treatment plans. Unfortunately, many patients forget to take their medications when necessary or improperly take their daily dosage. 

Chatbots are able to deploy custom medication reminders and instructions for patients — aiming to better improve patient engagement and ultimately, patient health. This simple, yet, important action is helping healthcare institutions have a better relationship with their patients outside the office or clinic.

QliqSOFT and Healthcare Chatbots

Secure communication is at the core of everything we do here at QliqSOFT. That’s why we are proud of a new healthcare chatbot tool that combines artificial intelligence and live-agent interaction — all while remaining in the same familiar environment that our secure texting users have relied on for years. If your organization is looking to take a leap into the future of clinical collaboration, contact us today.

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New Technology Is Now Available for Healthcare Providers

Benefits of Patient Self-scheduling for COVID-19 Vaccines

  The recent FDA-approval of COVID-19 vaccines has healthcare organizations across the nation trying to effectively and efficiently meet growing vaccination demands. Online patient-scheduling has already become a game-changer as a result of the pandemic. In response to this growing need, QliqSOFT deployed the COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant.

  The new chatbot included patient self-scheduling to alleviate resources within health systems and call centers. Similar to the COVID-19 Assessment chatbot released in 2020, this chatbot focused on the emerging needs sparked by the pandemic.

  There are many benefits to providing patient self-scheduling via a healthcare chatbot, here are a few:

  Direct access to available appointments

   Automated appointment reminders

 Improved second dose adherence

 Reduction in call center strain

 Efficient capture of secure patient intake information

 Real-time booking and calendar appointment confirmations

 Quickly identify patients as they arrive at locations

   “Leveraging technology to address the challenges of vaccination distribution is critical to keeping front line staff available for direct patient care,” said Krishna Kurapati, CEO and founder of QliqSOFT. “The fact that this chatbot can be rapidly deployed and integrates with all EMRs, means that healthcare organizations don’t have to sacrifice data and transparency for speed.”

  Additional Benefits

  Some other ways healthcare providers can leverage chatbot technology to support their COVID-19 vaccination response include:

  Ability to set designated days and times for vaccine scheduling

 Provide patients with pre-screening questionnaires

 Auto-route patients to the appropriate location

 Answer frequently asked questions

 Make it easier for patients to plan and schedule both COVID-19 doses

 Automate patient outreach to specific patient subsets eligible to receive vaccinations

 Help elevate patient bottlenecks at vaccine locations

 Provide post-vaccination surveys and capture adverse reactions

   Patient Portals Aren’t Enough

  Did you know that fewer than 20% of patients utilize provider portals or download provider apps? Patients love chatbots with 70% of them reporting positive experiences, prefer real-time 24/7 conversations, get their questions answered more quickly and their issues addressed instantly.

  Recent Results

  Coryell Health needed a better way to meet the ever-growing demand of patient COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. They made the decision to implement a COVID-19 Vaccine Chatbot prior to an upcoming vaccine event and were able to fill more than 450 of their 700 available appointments and enable their 60+ nursing staff the ability to follow-up with patients more quickly while keeping patient information secure. Download their full case study here.

  This is a true testament to the secure HIPAA-Compliant technology now available to support innovative healthcare organizations around the world.

  Learn more about QliqSOFT’s COVID-19 vaccine assistant here.

  About QliqSOFT

  QliqSOFT addresses the communication needs of healthcare organizations via its secure, scalable, modular Virtual Care Platform. The HIPAA-compliant platform, composed of QliqCONNECT Secure Messaging, AI-driven Quincy healthcare chatbots, on-demand Virtual-Visits, and real-time GPS-enabled resource management solution Visit Path, delivers an average of 1.2 million clinical messages exchanged across the U.S. daily and more than 6 months of live virtual care performed every 180 minutes. To learn more, visit www.qliqsoft.com.

  The post New Technology Is Now Available for Healthcare Providers appeared first on QliqSOFT.

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QliqSOFT Announces Integrated Self-Scheduling Into COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant Chatbot

DALLAS, TX, USA, January 14, 2021 — QliqSOFT Inc., specializing in HIPAA-compliant clinical collaboration and patient communication solutions, today announced the inclusion of fully integrated self-scheduling into their COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant chatbot, which launched in December of 2020 and is already deployed across 500+ healthcare organizations.

  Until now, the ability to schedule vaccination appointments has been an optional function of the chatbot previously requiring integration into the healthcare organization’s internal systems. The new, fully integrated self-scheduling module allows for quicker deployment and management of patient surge.

  “The fact that this chatbot can be rapidly deployed and integrates with all EMRs, means that healthcare organizations don’t have to sacrifice data and transparency for speed.”

— Krishna Kurapati

 The COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant now provides direct access to available appointments and reminders as well as improves second-dose adherence with frictionless ongoing engagement. Automating the scheduling process relieves strain on call center and clinical resources and allows the conversational chatbot to capture all necessary intake and appointment setting information including demographics, consents, and recipient screening to seamlessly present the appropriate venue and schedule to the patient based on their inputs. Real-time booking and calendar confirmation allow patients to complete the process from start to finish in minutes without downloading an app, logging into a portal, or calling a hotline.

  “Leveraging technology to address the challenges of vaccination distribution is critical to keeping front line staff available for direct patient care,” said Krishna Kurapati, CEO and founder of QliqSOFT. “The fact that this chatbot can be rapidly deployed and integrates with all EMRs, means that healthcare organizations don’t have to sacrifice data and transparency for speed.”

  Healthcare organizations can deploy these chatbots as part of a digital outbound campaign using QliqSOFT’s Care Campaign functionality to send to target lists via SMS or Email, or as part of an inbound model by sharing the chatbot’s unique QR code on print, digital, or social media, or by hosting the chatbot directly on their website. Each option can be executed in minutes. Patients are greeted with an SMS-like secure UI that replicates the ease of texting and, thanks to the included branding options, looks just like their trusted healthcare provider organization. From here they experience a naturally-guided conversation (with their preferred language automatically detected) to address the entire vaccine enrollment process. In addition to appointment scheduling, the chatbot addresses vaccine hesitancy, paperless registration including e-consent, eligibility screening, second dose reminders, and more.

  With solutions already deployed for health systems, provider practices, federally qualified health centers, post-acute health settings, and providers of pharmaceutical and medical device services, QliqSOFT’s Healthcare Chatbot platform meets unique engagement needs across the patient care journey. As part of their efforts to help healthcare organizations respond to the COVID-19 crisis, QliqSOFT technology has exchanged millions of secure messages, documents, images, and video visits since June 2020. The inclusion of these engagement solutions fosters brand-awareness and retention for healthcare organizations, allowing them to remain the source of care for patients.

  Todd Helmink, CRO for QliqSOFT commented on the new enhancements,

  “The COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant is just one piece of a full patient engagement platform designed to bridge the gap between patients and providers. The modular nature of this platform allows QliqSOFT to address the current needs of an organization while still being able to adapt and grow with them in the future. It’s the opposite of the one-size-fits-all approach that costs healthcare millions every year.”

  About QliqSOFT

  QliqSOFT addresses the communication needs of healthcare organizations via its secure, scalable, modular Virtual Care Platform. The HIPAA-compliant platform, composed of QliqCONNECT Secure Messaging, AI-driven Quincy healthcare chatbots, on-demand Virtual-Visits, and real-time GPS-enabled resource management solution Visit Path, delivers an average of 1.2 million clinical messages exchanged across the U.S. daily and more than 6 months of live virtual care performed every 180 minutes. To learn more, visit www.qliqsoft.com.

  Ben Henson QliqSOFT, Inc. +1 770-688-4689 marketing@qliqsoft.com

  The post QliqSOFT Announces Integrated Self-Scheduling Into COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant Chatbot appeared first on QliqSOFT.

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Virtual Visits Are More Important Than Ever. Is Your Practice Ready?

The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the medical community, rewritten society norms, and created countless questions – with few answers. This novel virus has displayed traits of being highly contagious from person to person contact, particularly through respiratory droplets caused by coughing, sneezing, and talking. Due to little knowledge of the disease, the potential for high community spread, and the possibility of best-protecting individuals — the United States entered a lockdown in March of 2020. 

Since then, the U.S. has worked to limit in-person gatherings and encourage social distancing as much as possible. This has resulted in more people working from home than ever before. Schools of all grade levels doing online learning. Social and entertainment events being consumed only via a television or computer screen. This quarantine period has also changed the dynamics of healthcare. 

Today, virtual visits are more important than ever. To best limit the possible exposure and spread of COVID-19, healthcare institutions and professionals have been pushing for the widespread use of telehealth services whenever possible. This sharp break from the normal has caused both patients and providers to learn on the fly. 

Prior to the pandemic, virtual visits and telehealth technology were up and coming. However, the mass adoption of this healthcare process was still thought to be years away. At the time, virtual visits were mainly used for rural patients that had limited access to physician care. There is no substitution for in-person healthcare, as it often gives physicians a better understanding of patient health. 

Yet, telehealth is still able to provide an exceptional level of care and service for both parties. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, and multiple vaccines are still undergoing phase III clinical trials, the use of virtual visits is a vital component to keeping patients and healthcare providers in touch — and safe. 

Even though telehealth has abruptly exploded into the public view due to COVID-19, the virtual health service is not expected to vanish in 2021 or thereafter. Some health experts are still predicting that mask-wearing and social distancing will need to remain in place throughout most of, if not all of 2021 as vaccines are being distributed and administered to the population. 

Following the anticipated end of the pandemic, it is expected that telemedicine will continue to play a major role in healthcare, not only in the U.S. but around the world. The convenience, flexibility, accessibility, ease of communication, physical safety, and potential for long-term cost savings — make virtual visits a projectable cornerstone in modern medical practice.

Is Your Practice Ready for Virtual Visits?

The majority of healthcare institutions and providers did not have an already existing telehealth infrastructure in place when COVID-19 hit — and many still do not. In order to keep practices afloat, while protecting patients and employees, a telehealth platform needs to be implemented.

More and more patients are asking for telehealth options, and in fact, this functionality may help providers keep their patients in better overall health during this time. By lowering the bar of commitment to a virtual face-to-face call, patients may be more apt to contact their doctor over a concern they have or just to receive their annual check-up – eliminating the threat of traveling to an office or hospital in-person.

The CDC encourages the use of telemedicine when possible, and lists out the potential benefits to both healthcare providers and patients.

Screen patients who may have symptoms of COVID-19 and refer as appropriate

Provide low-risk urgent care for non-COVID-19 conditions, identify those persons who may need additional medical consultation or assessment, and refer as appropriate

Access primary care providers and specialists, including mental and behavioral health, for chronic health conditions and medication management

Provide coaching and support for patients managing chronic health conditions, including weight management and nutrition counseling

Participate in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other modalities as a hybrid approach to in-person care for optimal health

Monitor clinical signs of certain chronic medical conditions (e.g., blood pressure, blood glucose, other remote assessments)

Engage in case management for patients who have difficulty accessing care (e.g., those who live in very rural settings, older adults, those with limited mobility)

Follow up with patients after hospitalization

Deliver advance care planning and counseling to patients and caregivers to document preferences if a life-threatening event or medical crisis occurs

Provide non-emergent care to residents in long-term care facilities

Provide education and training for HCP through peer-to-peer professional medical consultations (inpatient or outpatient) that are not locally available, particularly in rural areas

The time is now to implement virtual visits at your facility, both for pandemic safety and the future trend of healthcare.

QliqSOFT’s Solution To Telehealth

Here at QliqSOFT, we are helping advance the healthcare community, while keeping patients and providers digitally safe. Our virtual visit services provide face-to-face care to your patients anytime. Our technology allows clinicians to initiate a virtual visit request with a secure SMS text message, engage via video, and acquire electronic patient signatures on post-visit surveys to validate visit occurrence. All with no app to download, securely, and in real-time.

With simple to use, straightforward interfacing, implementing this technology across patient populations is done with ease. In addition, our chatbot, Quincy, is a healthcare solution that is helping boost patient engagement and satisfaction. Quincy has the ability to integrate with nearly any care setting you deem appropriate and every stage of the patient experience — from finding a doctor all the way to billing.

If there ever was a time to upgrade your practice’s healthcare services, now would be the time. Contact us to learn how we can help your practice acclimate into a new era of healthcare.

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QliqSOFT AND CPSI ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO PROVIDE CPSI CUSTOMERS WITH COVID-19 VACCINATION ASSISTANCE

QliqSOFT Chatbot Technology to Power COVID-19 Vaccination Administration Support

  DALLAS, TX, USA, December 9, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — QliqSOFT, which specializes in secure, HIPAA-compliant clinical collaboration and patient communication solutions and CPSI (NASDAQ: CPSI), a community healthcare solutions company today announced the launch of a new COVID-19 Vaccination Assistant chatbot that will be made available to all CPSI customers in early 2021 to provide safe, efficient, complete vaccination administration workflows.

  QliqSOFT and CPSI are collaborating to release the COVID-19 Vaccination Assistant, a chatbot designed to address anticipated vaccine rollout concerns facing healthcare providers during the pandemic. The chatbot’s features allow it to address vaccine hesitancy through the use of an easily accessible and patient-focused Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) module, provide an in-chat option for patients to self-schedule their vaccination and receive reminders in advance to meet vaccine administration compliance and efficacy, provide transportation assistance when available through patients’ mobile devices, and capture necessary consents and digital proof of vaccination should such proof be required for an event, facility, or employment access. The COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant will support both single- and multi-dose vaccinations.

  “The COVID-19 vaccines will only be effective if people take them,” says Krishna Kurapati, founder and chief executive officer of QliqSOFT. “This new chatbot allows healthcare organizations to automate education and follow-up to alleviate vaccine hesitancy, while also providing multiple touchpoints to remove hurdles and ensure follow-through.”

  “The highest level of success of the COVID-19 vaccination program not only depends on the effectiveness of the vaccine itself, but also requires accurate and timely education, administration, and documentation,” added William J. Hayes, M.D., M.B.A., chief medical officer of CPSI.

  The COVID-19 Vaccination Assistant is part of an ever-growing suite of patient-focused chatbots that dovetail into CPSI’s industry-leading patient engagement capabilities. CPSI began providing a highly successful COVID-19 Toolkit to its customers in March 2020, powered by QliqSOFT, to assist in providing business continuity and safe patient care in response to the pandemic.

  About QliqSOFT

  QliqSOFT addresses the communication needs of healthcare organizations via its secure, scalable, modular Virtual Care Platform. The HIPAA-compliant platform, composed of QliqCONNECT Secure Messaging, AI-driven Quincy healthcare chatbots, on-demand Virtual-Visits, and real-time GPS-enabled resource management solution Visit Path, delivers and an average of 1.2 million clinical messages exchanged across the U.S. daily and more than 6 months of live virtual care performed every 180 minutes. To learn more, visit www.qliqsoft.com.

  About CPSI

  CPSI is a leading provider of healthcare solutions and services for community hospitals, their clinics and post-acute care facilities. Founded in 1979, CPSI is the parent of four companies – Evident, LLC, American HealthTech, Inc., TruBridge, LLC, and iNetXperts, Corp. d/b/a Get Real Health. Our combined companies are focused on helping improve the health of the communities we serve, connecting communities for a better patient care experience, and improving the financial operations of our clients. Evident provides comprehensive EHR solutions for community hospitals and their affiliated clinics. American HealthTech is one of the nation’s largest providers of EHR solutions and services for post-acute care facilities. TruBridge focuses on providing business, consulting, and managed IT services, along with its complete RCM solution, for all care settings. Get Real Health focuses on solutions aimed at improving patient engagement for individuals and healthcare providers. For more information, visit www.cpsi.com.

  Forward-Looking Statements

  This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified generally by the use of forward-looking terminology and words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “projects,” “targets,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” “may,” “continue,” “should,” “will” and words of comparable meaning. Without limiting the generality of the preceding statement, all statements in this press release relating to the ability of CPSI to successfully partner with QliqSOFT are forward-looking statements. We caution investors that any such forward-looking statements are only predictions and are not guarantees of future performance. Certain risks, uncertainties, and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors may include: risks related to the ability of the COVID-19 Vaccination Assistant chatbot to effectively engage patients and improve vaccination administration workflows at healthcare providers; the impact of COVID-19 and related economic disruptions which have materially affected CPSI’s revenue and could materially affect CPSI’s gross margin and income, as well as CPSI’s financial position and/or liquidity; actions to be taken by CPSI in response to the pandemic; the legal, regulatory and administrative developments that occur at the federal, state and local levels; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of CPSI’s or its partners’ information systems, including unauthorized access to or theft of patient, business associate, or other sensitive information or inability to provide patient care because of system unavailability; changes in revenues due to declining hospital demand and deteriorating macroeconomic conditions (including increases in uninsured and underinsured patients); potential increased expenses related to labor or other expenditures; and the impact of our substantial indebtedness and the ability to refinance such indebtedness on acceptable terms or at all, as well as risks associated with disruptions in the financial markets and the business of financial institutions as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic which could impact us from a financial perspective. Numerous other risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Such factors include risk factors described from time to time in CPSI’s public releases and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to, CPSI’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10 Q. We also caution investors that the forward-looking information described herein represents CPSI’s outlook only as of this date, and CPSI undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or development after the date of this press release.

  Tracey Schroeder CPSI +1 251-239-8100 tracey.schroeder@cpsi.com

  Ben Henson QliqSOFT, Inc. +1 770-688-4689 marketing@qliqsoft.com

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COVID-19 Vaccine Information: 3 Things To Know

A quick Google search will reveal there is plenty of COVID-19 vaccine information out there. Here’s what you need to know today.

  1) Different Results From Different Manufacturers

Three pharmaceutical brands have, to date, announced the completion of their COVID-19 Vaccines. However, not all had the same efficacy, or effectiveness, in clinical trials. Nor do they each require the same handling procedures or have the same funding sources. In fact, there may be significant variance. Here’s the breakdown of the COVID-19 vaccine information known today from each manufacturer:

  Moderna:  mRNA-1273 is a vaccine against COVID-19 which was co-developed by US-based Moderna and investigators from NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center. Their study, known as the COVE study, enrolled more than 30,000 participants in collaboration with the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The vaccine, shown to be about 94.5% effective, remains stable for 30 days at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, the temperature of a standard home fridge. For longer-term storage, it remains stable at -20 degrees Celsius for up to 6 months. The company expects to have approximately 20 million doses of mRNA-1273 ready to ship in the US by the end of 2020.

  Pfizer:  Pfizer’s two-dose BNT162b2  vaccine trial has finished with a 95% success rate. The efficacy of the vaccine was found to be consistent across different age and ethnic groups in its trial of more than 43,000 volunteers. The Pfizer vaccine requires deeper cooling (-70 Celsius degrees) and can keep only up to five days in regular refrigeration. 

  AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca and its partner Oxford University released preliminary results from its phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trials,  which found that the company’s vaccine, which uses a genetically modified cold virus, is up to 90% effective in trials consisting of up to 23,000 participants. Up to 3 Billion doses could be produced throughout 2021 thanks in part to the more than $1 Billion in funding provided by the U.S. B Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). However, the vaccine has yet to be approved. AstraZeneca’s vaccine can be transported and stored at the same temperatures you might find in a normal refrigerator – between about 36° and 46° Fahrenheit for as long as six months; which may translate to easier access to the vaccine, particularly for developing countries.

  2) What is Operation Warp Speed?

Operation Warp Speed is a government-funded multi-agency initiative to fast-track the development of, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 drugs and treatments. 4 Star Army General and professional logistician Gustave Perna leads the effort and recently told NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly that if the FDA authorizes a vaccine by December 2020 he believed “..a safe and effective vaccine will be available initially in December. 10 to 30 million doses of vaccine will be available that we can start distributing.” The government will be allocating initial vaccine supplies to states and jurisdictions, which will then be responsible for getting shots into people’s arms and determining which groups get priority for those first doses. “Some of the jurisdictions have thought about mass [vaccination] campaigns. Some are going right to brick-and-mortar and working with CVS and Walgreens. Some are going to utilize their hospitals,” and the places people can go to get vaccines may shift as more doses become available, Perna says. Additional COVID-19 vaccine information related to Operation Warp Speed can be found on the HHS website.

  It is still unclear what role Blockchain technology may play in providing transparency and “digital trust” for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. If implemented Blockchain could help in ensuring all parties have access to centralized, unbiased information, about each doses’ transportation and handling.  Learn More about the benefits of leveraging this technology now.

  3) 2nd Vaccine Dose Criticality Increases Reliance on Patient Education and Reminders

Some of the vaccines to be distributed, such as Pfizer’s BNT162b2 require multiple doses, and the ability of the vaccine to protect against infection absolutely hinges on patients getting their second dose. This COVID-19 vaccine information must be readily available and understood by patients to ensure they follow-up with secondary dosing if needed. The CDC is making COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for the US-based on input from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) which includes plans to distribute to specific populations first if supplies are limited:

  Healthcare personnel

 Workers in essential and critical industries

 People at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions

 People 65 years and older

  Depending on the vaccine used, those patients may require a scheduled 2nd dose or additional testing, as well as remote monitoring of adverse reactions and a delivery mechanism for ongoing education. Hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, meatpacking plants, and even Ford Motor Company – which plans to offer vaccination to employees are among the long list of companies ramping up their vaccine delivery and aftercare models. These plans require robust, HIPAA-compliant, patient engagement tools. These tools, driven by AI-technology, will play a pivotal role in helping to manage the distribution of vaccines, public health education, and ultimately the safety of any COVID-19 vaccine. They may include patient-self scheduling and real-time schedule management for follow-up doses, adverse reaction reporting, and engaging peer-reviewed patient education materials, as well as a way for patients to provide employer attestations of vaccination and maintain updates to their medical records.

  What Must Be Done To Prepare The Public for the Vaccine

There is some mounting distrust of the available COVID-19 vaccine information in the general public and many people are still uncertain about social distancing, mask-wearing, or even the legitimacy of the virus. The World Health Organization ranked “Vaccine Hesitancy” as one of the Top 10 Threats To World Health in 2019. Citing complacency, inconvenience in accessing vaccines, and lack of confidence as key reasons underlying hesitancy. Health workers, especially those in communities, remain the most trusted advisor and influencers of vaccination decisions, and they must be supported to provide trusted, credible information on vaccines, according to WHO. 

  As a trusted advisor, healthcare organizations are poised to not only distribute the vaccine but also prepare the public with trusted COVID-19 vaccine information and resources.

  To learn more about the Quincy Healthcare Chatbots poised to provide organizations with vaccination support – click here.

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QliqSOFT’s Healthcare Chatbot and Secure Texting Solutions Now Available in the Epic App Orchard

QliqSOFT Joins the App Orchard Enabling Rapidly Deployed EMR Integrations

DALLAS – QliqSOFT, specializing in HIPAA-compliant, clinical collaboration, and patient engagement solutions, today announced that their Quincy Healthcare Chatbot solution along with their flagship QliqCONNECT Secure Texting platforms are now available in the App Orchard gallery, providing a clear and easy path to meaningful EMR integration for all QliqSOFT and Epic clients.

  “This is an exciting day at QliqSOFT,” says Krishna Kurapati, Founder & CEO, “not just because of this new compatibility with Epic, but because our patient engagement solutions will now be able to positively impact more lives in a time when effective remote care is more important than ever.”

  Quincy Healthcare Chatbots enable frictionless, automated, patient engagement opportunities throughout the care journey with AI-driven intelligent chat. From pre-visit care to connected post-care, QliqSOFT is an industry leader for HIPAA-compliant conversational chatbots with thousands of bots deployed across the United States in 2020 alone. Quincy Chatbots are capable of interacting with the patient to schedule appointments, triage symptoms, complete and electronically sign documentation, access peer-reviewed medical content, adhere to  care plans, upload images, enroll in programs, manage chronic conditions, and more from any device.

  Quincy Healthcare Chatbots, which are AI-driven and conversational in nature, are also powering other Population Health, Telemedicine, and Remote Patient Monitoring initiatives to create a more connected patient experience. Organizations can select from pre-configured solutions or design their own in the Quincy Bot Studio and make their chatbots available to patients via QR code, SMS, email, website, and more.

  QliqCONNECT, the KLAS-rated secure clinical communication solution, provides a feature-rich platform for care team collaboration with integrated on-call schedules, group & multi-party messaging, e-signature, e-faxing, image and document exchange, and in-app video calling, as well as free client-side archives and active directory integration.

  With the API connectors in the App Orchard, Quincy and QliqCONNECT integrations will be streamlined, an important consideration for healthcare providers.

  “One-off integrations consume resources and time, says John Skowlund, QliqSOFT’s Vice President of Business Development. “Now, any Epic client can benefit from that work already being done. This translates to condensed timelines without sacrificing desired interoperability.” 

  The addition of QliqSOFT to the App Orchard benefits health systems by allowing all of these data-rich interactions, forms, and discrete data to be filed back to the patient record as a PDF.

  Check out the App Orchard listing for QliqSOFT.

  About QliqSOFT

With over 1500 clients, QliqSOFT addresses the communication needs of healthcare organizations via it’s secure, scalable, modular, Virtual Care Platform. The HIPAA-compliant platform, comprised of QliqCONNECT Secure Messaging, AI-driven Quincy Healthcare Chatbots, on-demand Virtual Visits, and real-time GPS-enabled resource management solution Visit Path, delivers an average of 1.2 million clinical messages exchanged across the U.S. daily and more than 6 months of live virtual care performed every 180 minutes. To learn more, visit www.qliqsoft.com.

  Epic and App Orchard are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Systems Corporation.

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Enhancing Telehealth Offerings with Deviceless Remote Patient Monitoring

Despite the recent overnight success of telehealth technology, remote patient monitoring (RPM) is one area of healthcare technology that did not see rapid adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet it has been identified as one of the greatest opportunities for patient engagement according to a recent KLAS survey.

  The hesitancy of RPM adoption has not been due to a lack of technological advancement or because of a limited number of connected devices in the marketplace. Instead, it’s a lack of priority and a lack of understanding of the benefits remote patient monitoring brings to both your patients and your bottom line.

  Automating your approach to RPM can play a large role in addressing common shortfalls of communication and increase efficiency in practices across all specialties. Using a patient engagement tool—chatbots—to track symptoms saves time for both the patient and provider while providing critical real-time data to clinicians.

  Chatbots provide a frictionless experience for patients from start to finish and can be easily accessed on their smartphones with no app to download and no need to remember another login.

  “You have to reach patients where they are, and they’re not picking up the phone for cold calls anymore,” says Krishna Kurapati, QliqSOFT Founder & CEO. “We have to be mindful of their time and their privacy. That’s why our HIPAA-compliant chatbots engage them right from an SMS-delivered link, at their pace.”

  The conversational artificial intelligence (AI) keeps patients engaged, in fact, RPM therapy maintains a 90% adherence rate to care plan guidelines. Readmission can be more easily prevented when patient-reported outcomes are collected and a provider can automatically intervene when needed.

  Practices that utilize remote services for chronic conditions saved an average of nearly $3,000 per patient. Chatbot technology is estimated to cost 70¢ per interaction compared to $8-$10 for web chat interactions or $35-$50 for phone interactions by 2022.

  QliqSOFT recently partnered with CareSignal, a provider of deviceless remote patient monitoring. Together, we’re enhancing the patient experience journey by leveraging real-time, self-reported patient data, and artificial intelligence. The result is clinically actionable and proactive care that leads to long-term patient engagement.

  Join our two teams on October 27th as we discuss facilitating deviceless remote patient monitoring using AI-driven chatbots.

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Flu Season 2020 – Planning During a Pandemic

A pandemic creates a massive challenge for healthcare professionals but another challenger is approaching in the Fall, flu season. With over almost seven million COVID-19 cases in the United States alone, the upcoming flu season only serves to burden an already taxed health care system.

  With hospitalizations on the rise throughout the country and the “first wave” of this pandemic still ongoing, the Fall flu season becomes more uncertain. Given the overlap in the high-risk groups (and symptoms) between COVID-19 and influenza, having a plan is necessary for tackling the fall.

  There is still hope in the form of a flu vaccine. Increasing patient outreach in the early fall could decrease the number of hospitalizations for the 2020-2021 flu season. With up to 740,000 hospitalizations related to the flu for the 2019-2020 season, communication of vaccination is vital.  

  Automating patient outreach regarding the flu vaccine should integrate the following:

  Outreach via SMS, email, recordings via phone calls/voicemails

Appointment reminders and follow-ups via secure chat

Live chat/video call for patients who need more information about the vaccine

  Timing the reminders and administration of the vaccine would be crucial for preventing the spread of another respiratory illness. Vaccinating patients has broad implications for the greater populace in preventing outbreaks and decreasing the stress on local health systems for the duration of the flu season. 

  With 61% of patients are highly satisfied with the remote visit experience, communicating remotely will give patients the information they need to know before they enter your doors. Curbside Check-In will provide the first point of contact for patients who show up for their appointments in-person. Being able to conduct intakes, and communicate safety procedures provides a safe, socially distant environment.

  Working with both illnesses later in the year will challenge providers in new and unforeseen ways. Creating a dedicated plan of communication will ensure that patients who are experiencing symptoms of the flu or COVID-19, will be separated from other patients in the clinical environment. By taking full advantage of secure communication – patient transfers, and patient monitoring will elevate the ability to adapt to your daily challenges. It will ease the mind of the 59% of people who are concerned about the hospital/clinical settings already, and streamline the patient workflow.

  For post-acute care, following up with patients can be automated by using healthcare chatbots. Being able to support patients by monitoring their symptoms in their own homes can help prioritize the patients who are most at risk for readmission.

  Having this line of patient communication would be effective for those who are struck by the flu, and do not require emergency care, to remain safely at home. Virtual Visits would be able to reach them in their homes via live chats or live video to ensure that they are following their care plan to recovery.

  This flu season will be a difficult end to an already painful year – but having a plan in place will ensure patients and staff are able to go home safely. The ongoing pandemic has already created unprecedented challenges for healthcare professionals and the upcoming flu season will add another level of complexity. Planning now on how to communicate, manage staff and patients now will mean the difference for when both illnesses are active among the general population.

  For more information regarding Chatbots, Virtual Visits, and Curbside Check-In – request a demo today.

  The post Flu Season 2020 – Planning During a Pandemic appeared first on QliqSOFT.

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How to Create An Effective On-Call Schedule

Scheduling has never been easy. In the fast-paced healthcare field, things are always shifting in a variety of directions — scheduling being at the top of the list. However, many hospitals, clinics, and other medical care facilities that need on-call scheduling are operating under antiquated systems. Old traditional methods of whiteboards, spreadsheets, and weekly emails aren’t doing the job. This type of on-call scheduling lacks the effectiveness and responsiveness needed in the quickly changing environment of healthcare. 

Developing a dependable on-call schedule cements an organization’s commitment to reliability, consistency, and high-quality care. The most effective way to do this involves the infusion of technology into a healthcare organization’s system. By leveraging an on-call scheduling application, team members are able to access and be notified at a moment’s notice from both a mobile device or computer. This type of system enables organizations to focus on provided care, instead of the mundane logistics of day-time-person schedule setting. 

Benefits of App-Based On-Call Scheduling 

Why specifically should a healthcare organization completely deviate from its current on-call scheduling system? It is estimated that in North America alone, downtime costs businesses over $700 billion annually. When specifically looking at healthcare, not only is money lost or wasted, but individuals’ lives are in jeopardy when an insufficient number of staff members are present or available. 

The notion that on-call scheduling needs improvement is nothing new. How to revamp the process is the question. Before laying out how to create an effective on-call schedule strategy, here are the benefits presented by an app-based solution: 

Instant Messaging to On-Call Staff 

Automatic On-Call Routing 

Quick and Responsive Scheduling Adjustments 

Seamless Integration with Call Centers 

Calendar Sharing with External Parties 

All while being HIPAA compliant, on-call scheduling done via an app-based product allows healthcare organizations to see more satisfaction in the day-to-day of their employees. Institutions transitioning to this form of scheduling have reported: 

Improved Work-Life Balance 

Less Burnout 

Higher Employee Retention 

More Transparent Work Culture 

Better Patient Care 

On-Call Schedule Strategy 

Assuming your healthcare organization makes the switch to an app-based on-call scheduling system, how do you develop an effective strategy for it? Four important factors to consider include team size, department resources, time of year, and work-life balance.  

All four components need to be mindful of each other as a systemic relationship is necessary to see a truly effective strategy. 

Team Size 

To start, take stock of your personnel. It is critical to analyze where your team stands in both ability and physical numbers. When crafting an on-call schedule you must not over schedule members or under schedule for your institution’s necessary productivity. 

Department Resources 

Not every department may be equal in your healthcare institution. Some services require a greater number of doctors, nurses, and support staff. Therefore, your on-call schedule strategy needs to be flexible and customizable to every aspect of your organization. Be conscious when allocating your team members’ shifts in order to ensure every department’s resource needs are met 24/7 – 365.

Time of Year 

Your healthcare institution requires more personnel and active hours during specific times in the year. For example, cold and flu season may require your organization to schedule more on-call staffers than other times during the year. Maybe your healthcare institution is in a travel destination, which is also often seasonal. Knowing how your community sees influxes in healthcare needs is vital to a positive on-call plan. 

Work-Life Balance 

Finally, on-call scheduling needs to keep employees’ physical and mental health in mind. On-call scheduling is often sporadic and can affect natural sleep habits. In order to properly protect employees’ health and job satisfaction, scheduling must guard and respect the outside lives their team members have. Therefore, avoid overscheduling and share unfavorable shifts across the board. 

Request a Free Demo of QliqSOFT 

As the world leader in HIPAA compliant text messaging and EVV technology, we can help ensure your organization meets all mandate requirements. Contact us today at (866) 295-0451 about a free demo, or how to start implementing our technology at your health company!

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Electronic Visit Verification for Home Health

As a home health service provider, you are concerned with streamlining your organizational processes, enhancing your quality of care, and abiding by all state and federal regulations. An EVV system like Visit Path can help you improve your company from top to bottom. By using a real-time, GPS-enabled post-acute care delivery resource management app, paperwork becomes easier, and patient satisfaction increases. 

Time-Saving and Cost Reducing 

Using an EVV system for home care helps teams maximize their time during and in-between visits, as well as reducing the likelihood of false claims and data errors. Teams have more transparent management and monitoring of service delivery. By digitizing paperwork and the ability to send documents and photos directly to your EMR system, vital information is less likely to fall through the cracks. With better data management, home health services are able to see faster cost reimbursement and a lower audit probability. 

Improved Patient Engagement and Satisfaction 

In 2018, over 90 percent of home health visits took place in rural areas. With Visit Path, locating patients is easier than before. With GPS-tracking, team members can easily locate their next visit and provide the needed care to the patient. With real-time tracking, fewer patient visits are missed/canceled, helping ensure patient care is delivered on time and verifiable by the patient themselves. 

HIPAA, State, & Federal Compliant

Visit Path is 100 percent HIPAA compliant, providing a secure platform that integrates with your EMR system. As both state and federal regulations surround EVV technology, Visit Path is customizable to fit the exact rules and guidelines within your operating state(s). 

Flexible and Reliable 

Visit Path is the industry leader in EVV technology. The platform fits nearly any home health service provider’s needs and business model. From hospice care to physical therapy, implementing a system like Visit Path increases overall efficiency, while helping support team members in their daily care activities. 

Fast Set-Up & Low Maintenance 

Starting Visit Path for your home healthcare service can be done in a matter of days, versus weeks. Once set-up, Visit Path requires no maintenance on your part — it is a set it and forget it solution to your everyday business.

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