Operational Effectiveness with My HealtheVet

1
Operational Effectiveness with My HealtheVet

• VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
• Micki H. Wheaton, M.S.N., R.N.
• Denise Ramsey, M.S.N., R.N.

2
Reason for Improvement

• Volume of calls related to prescription refills
• Access to care
• Case manager follow up
• Veteran anecdotal reports

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Assumptions

• Improve operational effectiveness, cost
  effectiveness and enhanced customer satisfaction
  with utilization of My HealtheVet (MHV)

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What Will Rx Refill Functionality of My HeatheVet
do for Operational Effectiveness?

• Improve veteran satisfaction
• Improve access to care
• Enhance veterans knowledge
• Improve cost effectiveness
• Improve staff efficiencies in pharmacy
• Improve staff efficiencies in case management

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Key Drivers

• Satisfaction
• Quality
• Access
• Cost

6
Actions

• Formed interdisciplinary team Nursing, Pharmacy,
  Patient Advocate
• Promoted time spent now would yield positive
  outcomes
• Developed action plans
• Increased awareness of Rx refill functionality
• Face to face meetings/Inservicing
• Communicate/Advertise
• Develop stand alone tools
• Posters, flyers, bulletin board
• Developed scripting and tracking tools
• Phone calls, Walk-ins, patient complaints
• Increased accessibility of MHV Rx refill
  information
• Take-Away brochures/literature
• Referrals to PHE library
• Phone follow up or mail outs

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Action Plans

• Case Managers
• Collect data
• Provide MHV Take-Away literature
• Refer to PHE library, phone and/or mail follow up
• Pharmacy
• Track enrollment
• Provide MHV Take-Away literature
• Refer to PHE library, phone and/or mail follow up
• Add MHV Rx refill information to package inserts
  or attach
• Trend outcomes
• Patient Advocate
• Walk-ins
• Phone
• Referral
• Provide MHV Take-Away literature

8
Action Plans

• MHV POC
• Round on team weekly
• Review data
• Track outcomes
• Track enrollment post consult/intervention
• Track volume of phone calls r/t refills
• Follow up
• Train, communicate and support veteran with
  registration process
• Support veteran with training and offerings of
  basic computer skills courses
• Employ a variety of marketing strategies
• Presentations VFW, VAVS, etc.

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Findings/Outcomes

• Patients utilizing My HealtheVet (MHV) for
  prescription refills were tracked from September
  2005 through December 2006. During this time
  frame 5,847 patients utilized MHV for their
  prescription refills.

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Findings/Outcomes

• Case managers completed MHV tracking tools

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Findings/Outcomes, cont.

• Pharmacy trended data on the number of patients
  per week
• that were utilizing MHV for prescription
  refills.

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Findings/Outcomes, cont.

• Facility registrations to MHV increased
  incrementally by 51 during this time period,
  moving VISN 11 from a national placement of 11th,
  to 7th in number of new registrants, to My
  HealtheVet.

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Findings/Outcomes, cont.
VISN 11 moves to the top 5 in the nation for
number of prescriptions refilled through My
HealtheVet.
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Summary

• Improved operational effectiveness
• Phone calls r/t Rx refills decreased
• Enhanced communication
• Access to care
• Cost effective
• Stock-piling and/or wastage decreased
• Processing only those medication refills needing
  refilled
• Co-pay for only those medications needing
  refilled
• Enhanced customer satisfaction AEB
• Testimonials from veterans
• Felt more in control and pleased with ability to
  self-manage.
• Stock-piling decreased and/or eliminated.
• Co-pay for only those meds that they actually use
  and/or need.
• Report more knowledgeable about their medications

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Operational Effectiveness with My HealtheVet

• Questions?