MercyOne and Phreesia Partner to Address Unmet Social Needs of Patients

Rhea-AI Summary

MercyOne and Phreesia have launched an initiative to enhance patient care by streamlining the assessment of social needs affecting health. By utilizing Phreesia's electronic screening solutions, MercyOne has conducted over 35,000 screenings, identifying that 18% of patients had unmet social needs. This innovative approach aims to improve patient communication, privacy, and connection to essential resources. The partnership reflects a commitment to health equity and personalized care, enhancing the overall well-being of communities served.

Positive

• Successful implementation of digital screenings with over 35,000 completed.
• Identification of 18% of patients with unmet social needs, enabling better resource allocation.

Negative

• None.

CLIVE, Iowa & RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MercyOne and Phreesia are celebrating an innovative initiative to evaluate and deliver resources to meet the needs of individuals in the communities we serve. Through its partnership with health care technology company Phreesia, MercyOne has streamlined the process for providing patients resources they need while improving the consumer experience.

As part of a longstanding dedication to convenient, personalized care, MercyOne health care providers look beyond patients’ physical health and evaluate how social needs such as personal safety, transportation, food and housing security affect their overall health and well-being. Traditional paper screenings can take considerable time and effort for clinical staff and patients.

MercyOne turned to Phreesia for a solution that removes the manual component by delivering the screening electronically and in advance of a patient’s appointment, integrating the patient’s answers directly into their electronic medical record and delivering results in real-time to the MercyOne care team.

“With Phreesia, patients are much more comfortable communicating their social needs and I believe this will make a big difference in the overall well-being and health of our communities and our ability to provide personalized care,” said MercyOne physician Timothy McCoy, DO, who provides family medicine care in Des Moines. “The platform’s automated capability to quickly capture social screening questions during the digital check-in process has been extremely helpful and greatly increases patient privacy.”

Having this information submitted by the patient makes it easier for MercyOne community health workers to prepare for patient visits and ensure better connection to resources that could support patients’ optimal health outcomes, including food pantries, federal and state programs, transportation programs, community-based organizations and more.

MercyOne began using Phreesia in September 2020 within its North Iowa and Central Iowa markets. Over the past year, MercyOne has conducted more than 35,000 social determinants of health screenings and identified that 18% of the patients screened had at least one unmet social need. Phreesia’s automated process ensures that those patients are not overlooked, and they receive the care and support they need.

“We’re so pleased to support MercyOne’s unwavering commitment to screen every patient, and it’s a privilege to partner with them to reach that goal together,” said Hilary Hatch, Ph.D., Phreesia’s Chief Clinical Officer. “By automating the screening process, more patients are sharing their unmet social needs and successfully getting connected with appropriate resources. These results are a testament to our shared mission of increasing health equity.”

Read our case study for more details.

About MercyOne
MercyOne is a connected system of health care facilities and services dedicated to helping people and communities live their best life. MercyOne’s care providers and staff make health the highest priority. The system’s clinics, medical centers, hospitals and affiliates are located throughout the state of Iowa and beyond. Headquartered in central Iowa, MercyOne was founded in 1998 through a collaboration between CommonSpirit Health and Trinity Health – two of the country’s foremost, not-for-profit Catholic health organizations.

About Phreesia
Phreesia gives healthcare organizations a suite of robust applications to manage the patient intake process. Our innovative SaaS platform engages patients in their healthcare and provides a modern, consistent experience, while enabling healthcare organizations to enhance clinical care and drive efficiency.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211005005716/en/

Media Contacts:

MercyOne

Adam Amdor

PR and Content Manager

319-272-7368

adam.amdor@mercyhealth.com

Phreesia

Annie Harris

Communications Manager

929-526-2611

aharris@phreesia.com

Source: Phreesia

FAQ

What is the recent partnership between MercyOne and Phreesia about?

MercyOne and Phreesia have partnered to streamline patient resource assessments and improve care delivery through electronic screenings.

How many social screenings has Phreesia facilitated for MercyOne?

Phreesia has facilitated over 35,000 social screenings for MercyOne.

What percentage of MercyOne patients had unmet social needs identified by Phreesia?

18% of patients screened by MercyOne identified at least one unmet social need.

When did MercyOne start using Phreesia's services?

MercyOne began using Phreesia's services in September 2020.

How does Phreesia improve patient communication regarding social needs?

Phreesia enhances patient communication by automating the screening process, allowing for more comfortable disclosures of social needs.