When UC Health set out to address inefficiencies in imaging access, they conducted an extensive scan of the market and selected PocketHealth, a patient-centric imaging platform. Their collaboration has improved how UC Health engages with patients, manages imaging workflows, and supports referring physicians.
During a recent interview with Healthcare IT Today, Dr. Ram Chadalavada, Vice Chair of Radiology Informatics & Associate Professor at UC Health, and Rishi Nayyar, Co-Founder & CEO of PocketHealth, detailed their journey together, the lessons learned, and where they are heading next.
Key Takeaways
- UC Health eliminated legacy image exchange technologies and associated workflows by adopting PocketHealth’s electronic platform. The platform significantly reduced frustration and administrative burden.
- The alignment between UC Health and PocketHealth on patient centered care accelerated the implementation. Since both organizations wanted seamless patient engagement across all channels, interoperable imaging, and reduced staff administrative work (so they could have more time to focus on patients), there was general agreement during the entire project.
- PocketHealth’s patient-friendly platform enhanced patient engagement by providing full control over their medical imaging.
Moving Away from Legacy Forms of Image Exchange
For years, UC Health struggled with legacy methods of delivering and sharing imaging data. They relied on faxes, CDs and their associated manual processes that frustrated both patients and staff.
“PocketHealth helped us eliminate the need for these legacy approaches, like physical CDs,” explained Dr. Chadalavada. “Now with PocketHealth, patients can access and share their imaging studies digitally, directly online.”
At a time when individuals can do more and more daily activities via their smartphones, it was important for UC Health to adopt modern technology that could allow patients to do the same for their medical images and associated reports. Although a patient portal could address this, typical portals do not make it easy for patients to share their images with other healthcare providers – especially if those other providers are on a different EHR.
When the team at UC Health scanned the market, they found PocketHealth and it wasn’t long before they were working together to implement a new image exchange and engagement platform.
Organizational Alignment Accelerates Implementation
“When choosing a vendor partner, we always look at the integrity of the company, their resources, and their commitment to security,” stated Dr. Chadalavada. “It is also important that they are collaborative and responsive.”
According to Dr. Chadalavada, right from the start, the PocketHealth team was eager to work with them. Leaders from both organizations met and quickly found they shared a passion for patient centric care. Both wanted to provide patients and staff with seamless, friction-free imaging experiences that went beyond the four walls of the facility.
“It was great to work with a health system that prioritized the patient experience,” state Nayyar. “We made it clear that we were going to move at the same rapid pace they wanted to move at. We also committed to making any changes based on their feedback. It has been a pleasure working with UC Health.”
The high degree of alignment allowed both teams to work quickly during the implementation. It also meant that the changes to the workflows due to PocketHealth’s more advanced platform were welcomed by staff who were eager to see a reduction in their administrative burden.
The tight integration with Epic’s My Chart made the patient experience smooth and minimized the degree of education needed for them to access their images. Patients can simply go to the interface they are used to for all their other medical needs from UC Health and PocketHealth’s platform is there for them.
The accelerated pace helped UC Health see the benefits of the new platform much faster.
Enhanced Patient Engagement
This seamless integration between PocketHealth and UC Health’s other systems (Epic, etc.) has enhanced patient satisfaction while freeing staff from time-consuming administrative tasks. Just eight weeks after go-live, 10,000 patients had engaged with the PocketHealth platform and over 8,000 images had been exchanged through it.
“I’ll be honest, I was surprised at the numbers,” admitted Chadalavada. “I am happy to see where we are and where we are going.”
In addition, the PocketHealth Follow-Up Navigator tool helps patients manage their follow-up instructions on medical imaging reports. According to a recent study, the rate of adherence to recommendations for additional imaging was only 39%. That means over 60% of recommendations are ignored by patients!
By gently nudging patients, the PocketHealth platform ensures that patients get the care they need before their condition potentially becomes more serious (and expensive).
This functionality not only supports continuity of care but also aligns with UC Health’s broader mission of delivering high-quality, patient-centered services.
Toward an Even Brighter Future
UC Health and PocketHealth plan to roll out additional patient-centric features, including PocketHealth’s Report Reader that will define complex medical terms for patients looking at their imaging reports.
The addition of PocketHealth’s new “Physician Hub” functionality will further elevated UC Health’s capabilities.
“With Physician Hub, physicians can get access to all the images they need by directly querying the PACS systems that they have been authorized to,” explained Nayyar. This direct access to images and imaging studies, reduces delays and improves care coordination.
Closing Thought
For CIOs and IT leaders, UC Health’s success underscores the value of selecting partners like PocketHealth who prioritize interoperability, ease of use, and collaboration.
“PocketHealth didn’t just provide a solution—they partnered with us to ensure a smooth rollout and customized the platform to meet our unique needs,” noted Dr. Chadalavada. This partnership has modernized imaging access for UC Health and improved patient engagement.
Learn more about UC Health at https://www.uchealth.com/
Learn more about PocketHealth at https://www.pockethealth.com/providers
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