The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has awarded a $200,000 grant to Butler Health System and Madison-based Wellbe as part of the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program to support diabetes self-management using online patient engagement.
Grant Details
The project will serve rural areas of Butler, Venango, Lawrence, and Clarion counties with an innovative diabetes support and education system coordinated by Butler Health System and in partnership with Seneca Medical Center and Clarion Hospital. Through the use of videoconferencing, provided by Polycom and cloud-based services, patients will access an online education portal as well as support groups and Certified Diabetes Educators. Services will be available through the use of personal devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, as well as in person through their primary care offices and clinics. This project will provide needed services to rural residents in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.
The BHS-Polycom-Wellbe team submitted a grant aimed at improving the health status and increasing access to Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) for its community members suffering from type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. The program will provide DSME to rural residents in person, via videoconferencing, and online. This combined multi-channel program will help create a more culturally competent, systematic, and effective care tool; thereby, improving patient outcomes while lowering the cost of disease management for patients, payers, and taxpayers.
Wellbe will conduct user research with current diabetics to uncover the challenges they face with today’s DSME. Using these grounded insights Wellbe will design and implement a Guided CarePath that works with Butler’s educational programs to help patients and their families manage their diabetes, guiding them – without overwhelming them – to better understand their condition, and the steps they need to take.
BHS previously implemented Guided CarePaths for Total Joint Replacement and Bariatric Surgery designed by Wellbe to provide patients with multiple benefits including the convenience of online engagement, family involvement, checklists and reminders.
“We are always looking for ways to provide high value and quality to our patients,” said Cindy Esser, Butler Health System Director of Emerging Technologies. “By delivering care in an accessible and convenient way, we hope to improve patient experiences and outcomes.”
