3. Patient Engagement in Care
Prior to the pandemic, Centerstone was piloting a virtual patient engagement model within one of its call centers. At the onset of the pandemic, key elements of that model were rapidly scaled to support and accommodate the substantial increase in requests for scheduled appointments. Inquiry call volume increased by 44% between May and October, with more and more callers expressing an urgent need.
In response to the growing need, Centerstone launched a single, national phone number, 877-HOPE123 and strategically integrated patient engagement model strategies within the system. These measures provide potential patients, their loved ones, and referral sources efficient access to services and related information.
The patient engagement model includes:
- Qualified, skilled agents managing phone lines and written inquiries made using the centerstone.org website
- Telephone engagement, information sharing, and triaging to programs and services
- Appointment scheduling
- Consistent follow-up contact with patients until appointment
- Metric reporting for call center measures that are available in real-time using a dashboard created by Centerstone Analytics and essential to managing this important support service
This model maintains a strong focus on helping the people access the individual level of care needed as quickly as possible. The pandemic created clinical and community conditions that necessitated rapid refinement and expanded implementation of this model, including deployment of equipment and technologies to create seamless connectivity for the agents, as well as back-up/fail-safe technologies. Additionally, the expansion necessitated rapid recruitment, onboarding, and training of call center agents to meet virtual care needs across the Centerstone system. Daily Flash Reports were also developed to provide analytics to inform system management, including call volume, speed to answer, abandonment rate, and intake appointment rates.
4. Centerstone Connect Telehealth Team
A key element of patients successfully accessing and benefiting from telehealth services is the clinician’s and the patient’s ability to use the required technology. As such, Centerstone has established a dedicated team to complement the Call Center patient engagement model and overall virtual service delivery. The Connect Telehealth Team supports staff and patient use of telehealth technology platforms and software. It serves as the “Tech Desk” for all staff and patients to ensure that they are able to deliver and receive care as seamlessly as possible. The team is readily available to assist with multiple areas, including to:
- Troubleshoot issues related to Intake and appointment scheduling within telehealth platforms
- Optimize software platforms to help increase functionality
- Directly assist patients (new or active) with connecting to telehealth appointments (e.g., software downloads, training on software use)
- Provide an introductory “Tech Session” for new patients (a test run prior to the actual clinical session)
For more information about the Centerstone Connect Telehealth Team or Centerstone’s evidence-based clinical trainings, please contact CenterstoneDigest@Centerstone.org.
Moving Forward
As the potential for an end to the pandemic increases, Centerstone continues to make patient and staff health and safety the highest priority. Moving forward, Centerstone is continuing to research and integrate new innovative and effective ways to deliver care that changes people’s lives, particularly in the face of any obstacles that may arise.
