Companies collaborate on patient-oncologist connection service

 

TG plc, a global specialist healthcare company, and HealthLoop, a cloud-based platform that automates follow-up patient care, have launched a collaboration on IO Loop, a service that enables patients and their oncologists to stay connected, providing improved pre-procedural patient instructions and ongoing follow-up care outside of the acute care setting. This service also provides the care team with patient-reported outcomes that help physicians meet the new reporting requirements of Medicare Access and CHIP Authorization Act (MACRA).

According to BTG and HealthLoop executives, IO Loop empowers patients by connecting them with their physician via a digital support platform, and fully engages them in their treatment journey. Online engagement before, during, and after treatment, they say has the potential to reduce physician burden, delivering the right information at the right time. The IO Loop service aims to help patients prepare for their treatment, track and report any symptoms, review key treatment information at the appropriate time, and provide a personalized follow-up care plan with appropriate advice.

“We know that patients who are involved in their treatment journey have the best chance of better outcomes, and at BTG we are committed to providing solutions to achieve this,” says Lisa Hayden, VP, global reimbursement at BTG. “Through IO Loop, the first service of its kind in interventional oncology, automated collection of patient information, improved patient outcomes, and potentially enhanced patient experiences can have unique benefits for healthcare providers and help them to meet the reporting requirements of MACRA.”

According to executives, the collaboration takes advantage of BTG’s leadership in interventional oncology alongside HealthLoop’s digital expertise in patient-centric solutions, offering a service that has the potential to differentiate and simplify interventional oncology practice.

“At Northwestern we have experienced the benefits of the IO Loop service first hand,” says Karen Grace, clinical nurse coordinator, interventional oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago. “Having ongoing access to the patient’s performance has enabled timely intervention, which in turn has minimized complications and reduced the likelihood of re-admission. This not only improves the quality of life of our patients but also enables us, as healthcare providers, to deliver a higher standard of care.”