News

IBM powers health care kiosk

February 13, 2012

CarePartners Plus and IBM have created Wellby, a interactive health care management solution for use in physician offices, hospitals, work sites and retail pharmacies to collect and exchange feedback from patients at the point of care.

Built on IBM kiosks, the user-friendly system helps patients enhance their communication with their physicians and provides direct feedback on the care they received, according to a company press release.

"Primary care physicians are increasingly focused on providing more patient-centered care and ensuring patients with chronic illness such as asthma or diabetes are getting the care they need and taking a role in managing their own care," Dr. Paul Grundy, director of health care transformation, IBM said in the release. "By creating meaningful interactions with patients, and through the continuous reporting and analysis of data on the effectiveness of care, Wellby provides an effective tool to teach patients important skills and support physicians in their mission to keep patients well."

Economically, Wellby offers a strong business case to hospitals and health systems that strive to deliver the highest and most efficient quality outcomes, Grundy said. Wellby provides a full range of managed tools that capture, document and integrate information across communities of providers without requiring capital expenditures or creating additional work for caregivers.

"Wellby instantaneously engages my patients immediately following their treatment," Dr. Kim Kuhar, Internal Medicine Independent Practice, Patient Centered Medical Home Certified, Silverdale, PA, said in the release. "This allows me to look at health, health goals and health outcomes from my patient's perspective. I like that I don't wait longer than a minute to learn what I need to know to be more proficient. Wellby does the leg work and my patients and I reap the benefits."

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