StayWell Targets Joint Replacement Surgery with Launch of CareEngage Prepare for Ortho

Newest component of the Krames CareEngage™ platform aims to improve performance under bundled payment models

YARDLEY, PA (PRWEB) July 17, 2017

More than a year after the implementation of bundled payments for joint replacements at 800 U.S. hospitals, there is evidence this payment model can produce savings for hospitals and improve experiences for patients. And while the new administration debates whether to expand the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement program, it is more important than ever for hospitals to adopt patient-facing technology that supports care delivery in a bundled-payment structure.

The StayWell Company, a health solutions provider that specializes in behavior change and patient engagement, announced today the availability of CareEngage Prepare for Ortho. This new, interactive, patient engagement program integrates with electronic health records to improve patient compliance and clinical workflows before, during, and after orthopedic surgery.

CareEngage Prepare for Ortho draws on 40 years of StayWell's expertise in providing engagement tools and patient education materials to guide patients on their care journey. The platform is powered by Doctella Smartlist technology and features award-winning Krames content in the form of customizable surgical checklists. CareEngage Prepare for Ortho seamlessly accommodates the unique protocols and workflows of individual physicians and surgical centers, while helping to brand the health system as innovative and patient-centered. CareEngage Prepare for Ortho is designed to include the following benefits:

• Increasing adherence by involving patients in pre- and post-surgical care;
• Reducing same-day surgery cancellations and post-surgery re-admissions;
• Improving patient care and quality;
• Increasing patient acquisition and loyalty; and
• Reinforcing the hospital or health system brand.

"Major joint replacement surgeries are among the fastest-growing medical procedures in the United States. But orthopedic cancellations are among the most frequent and cost hospitals millions of dollars each year," said Nicole Latimer, CEO, StayWell. "With Medicare's plans to have at least 50 percent of traditional payments flow through alternative models by 2018, health systems need to develop programs to help patients understand and be prepared to navigate through the changes for their entire surgical episode. Technology platforms like Krames CareEngage that provide patients with modules and programs outlining clear care expectations and the reasoning behind those expectations will enhance outcomes and satisfaction."

By giving patients the information they need to properly prepare for and recover from orthopedic procedures, CareEngage Prepare for Ortho sets up health care providers to help patients be successful under the potential expansion of bundled-payment models. The platform offers easy-to-follow education, instructions and alerts delivered in intuitive and appealing ways (via smartphones, tablets, and home desktops). CareEngage Prepare for Ortho can help increase the likelihood that patients will be properly prepared for surgery and will follow discharge instructions, which can lead to reduced surgery cancellations, readmissions and associated costs.

Krames CareEngage integrates with any EHR. Clinical teams can thus benefit from the following features:

• An easy-to-use interface accessible in the EHR as part of the clinical workflow;
• A dashboard that allows providers to monitor patient progress and intervene to help ensure patient adherence to critical care instructions;
• Patient checklists that may improve patient safety and outcomes; and
• Links to engagement tools and education.

"Printed instructions from your doctor are no longer the norm. Consumers today want information via email or text message, and they want access to pertinent health care information on the go," said Latimer. "By allowing providers to create customized digital content and monitor patient compliance, CareEngage Prepare for Ortho can help create a better patient experience and set providers up to succeed under the bundled-payment model for orthopedic surgeries."

To learn more about CareEngage Prepare for Ortho, visit careengage.staywell.com.

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About StayWell
StayWell is a health solutions company that uses the science of behavior change to help people live happier, healthier lives. StayWell brings decades of experience working across the health care industry to design solutions for improving individual and organizational health outcomes, managing the health of targeted populations, and creating brand engagement for employers and health care organizations. StayWell programs have received numerous top industry honors, including the C. Everett Koop National Health Award and the Web Health Award for health engagement programs. StayWell also has received URAC and NCQA accreditation for several of its programs. StayWell is majority-owned by Healthcare Services & Solutions, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA ("Merck"). The company is headquartered in Yardley, PA, and also has a major location in St. Paul, MN. To learn more, visit http://www.staywell.com or connect with on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About Merck
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer's disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information, visit http://www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of The StayWell Company, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov).

Media contact / Barbara Tabor, APR / 651-230-9192 / barbara(at)taborPR.com

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/07/prweb14510608.htm