Glendale, WI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/11/2022 --The goal of hospice is to provide physical, emotional, and spiritual care and support that makes the end of life as pain-free and comfortable as possible. Hospice cares for patients, while also providing support for their families and loved ones.
While hospice aims to relieve the burden and stress of serious illness, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated issues with an already cumbersome paperwork maze that must be navigated for patients to begin hospice care. Agrace, recognizing a critical need, took the opportunity to reinvent their admissions experience—for patients, families, and the staff working tirelessly to serve them.
Agrace chose SMARTMD Technologies' Virtual Intake Portal (VIP) as the platform for their digital transformation strategy. VIP replaced e-signature apps, spreadsheets and traditional paper forms with an electronic application that guides patients and families through complex regulatory forms.
"During the pandemic, many hospice agencies adopted eSignature applications to address an immediate need to get required forms signed virtually. Agrace had a bigger vision in mind for their patients, one that aligned more closely with SMARTMD," said Nandip Kothari, CEO, SMARTMD. "We could provide a better admission experience for families, one that went far beyond adding a signature to a form. An experience that was more educational and less stressful."
For intake and admissions nurses, VIP provides a patient dashboard enabling Agrace to admit patients expediently while reducing the need for countless emails and secure messages to coordinate internally.
"We saw in VIP an opportunity to better serve our patients and families, and at the same time, reduce the burden on our staff that was already overstretched by the pandemic," said Michaela Chase, RN, director of clinical services access at Agrace. "VIP has helped enrollment representatives, intake coordinators, hospital liaisons, admission nurses and medical records help new patients from first contact through admission with less work and better communication."
Since Agrace Hospice Care implemented the Virtual Intake Portal earlier this year, they have seen a marked improvement in ease of admissions. According to Chase, VIP makes the signing process easier for patients and their decision-makers.
"With VIP, we can send them a link through a text message that can be accessed in rural areas without reliable internet signals. They don't need to register or create an account in order to complete the required paperwork. The whole process is easier and less stressful for patients and families."
About SMARTMD
Since 1999, SMARTMD has been helping healthcare organizations streamline clinical and administrative operations, freeing up staff to dedicate more time to patients. SMARTMD products and services power digital transformation at the point of care for seriously ill patients at home and in SNFs/ALFs. For more information about SMARTMD, visit smartmd.com/vip.
About Agrace
Founded in 1978, Agrace is a nonprofit, community-supported health care organization dedicated to providing high-quality care and support to people who are aging, ill, dying, or grieving. With offices in Baraboo, Platteville, Madison, and Janesville, Agrace serves nearly 1,500 patients and clients across southern Wisconsin every day. For more information about Agrace, call (608) 276-4660 or visit agrace.org.
Agrace Eases Hospice Patients' Admission Process with New Virtual Intake Portal
Agrace chooses SMARTMD Virtual Intake Portal to make admission easier for patients and families.