New York-based provider Northwell Health and Playback Health, a software technology company, are collaborating on an engagement platform to help patients better retain their healthcare data.
The multi-year agreement will launch Playback's technology at select Northwell Health clinical sites, allowing patients to more easily engage with providers and understand their diagnoses, the companies announced on Tuesday.
Northwell's Lenox Hill Hospital, Glen Cove Hospital and other locations across the system began holding pilot programs with physicians in 2019 to ensure the platform will improve patient experience and care quality, said Richard Mulry, president and CEO of Northwell Holdings and Ventures, the company's entrepreneurial arm, in a news release.
"We are excited by the opportunity to develop and roll out this innovative, scalable technology that takes doctor-patient communication to a new level," Mulry said.
Because patients can find it difficult to process and remember key facts about diagnoses, care plans or other important information provided during medical visits, Playback Health's platform allows individuals to review it all at a later time.
Using Playback's technology and information from patients' medical records, clinicians can use audio, video, photos and text to record personalized care instructions and communicate what a patient needs to know about their diagnosis and care plan.
While following safety and security standards for health information, the platform is meant to enable the mobility and sharing of point-of-care data from a hospital's electronic medical record, patient portals and third-party medical devices.
Northwell Health first invested in Playback Health's platform in 2018 as a patient-centric solution to improve clinical outcomes.
To date, more than 700 clinicians and 10,000 patients have used Playback's technology through Northwell Health, a health system spokesperson said in a statement. This includes physical and occupational therapists and healthcare professionals in radiology, orthopedics, neurosurgery and emergency departments.
"Playback digitally connects providers, patients and families to the point of care so everyone can hear first-hand what the doctor said," said Gregory Odland, CEO and co-founder of Playback Health in a news release. "All the information is there, and you can replay it as many times as you like."
The program also provides video calling as an option for clinicians to directly check in with their patients and touch base with others on the care team. These interactions are recorded and then made available for the patient and their care team to view virtually.
In total Northwell Health serves more than two million patients annually in New York, with 16,600 affiliated physicians at 22 hospitals and 830 outpatient facilities.
Northwell Health plans to roll out Playback Health's platform to 25 departments across its health system by the end of 2021.
