Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1058489
15 PATIENT EXPERIENCE Community health workers double patients' satisfaction, cut hospital stays By Megan Knowles C ommunity health workers, or laypeople who support high-risk patients facing social issues, can help reduce hospital stays by 65 percent and double patient satis- faction with primary care, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found. The study, conducted by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, looked at chronically ill, low-income patients and U.S. veterans. Between January 2015 and March 2016, 288 patients re- ceived typical primary care, while 304 patients received community health worker support. The community health worker-supported group received six months of tailored sup- port that included health coaching and social support to help patients with food or housing needs. Patients who received community health worker support were about twice as likely to report high-quality primary care and spend fewer days in the hospital compared to patients in the typical primary care group. The community health work- er-supported patients also had lower rates of repeat hospital- izations, including 30-day readmissions. "Improving health quality while lowering costly hospitalizations is what so many healthcare leaders are trying to achieve," said lead study author Shreya Kangovi, MD. "It's remarkable that these results were achieved not by an expensive drug or technology, but from good old-fashioned social support." n Why every physician at Mount Sinai's children's hospital carries referral cards for therapy dogs By Mackenzie Bean N ew York City-based Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital employs two unlikely workers — a pair of goldendoodles named Professor and Amos, reported Business Insider. Professor and Amos work at Kravis Children's daily as part of the hospital's Paws and Play program created through the child life and creative arts therapy department. e hospital received a three-year grant from PetSmart Charities to fund all costs associated with the facility dogs, including veterinary care, grooming, food and salary of the child life specialists paired with the animals. Kravis Children's incorporates the facility dogs into personalized treatment and recovery plans for patients. Every physician in the facility carries a referral card for Professor and Amos. e facility dogs offer patients procedural support, encouragement to walk, play opportunities and comfort, among other benefits. ey also participate in pediatric medical rounds, visit patients in the pediatric intensive care unit and participate in certain physical therapy routines. "ey carry business cards, they have a badge," Diane Rode, director of Kravis' child life program, told Business Insider. "ey're going to rooms where there's been a referral request, with a specific goal." Kravis' child life department is draing a proposal for a third facility dog amid increasing demand across the hospital. e department would also like to use the new facility dog to promote staff and clinician wellness. n How Penn Medicine uses VR to help ease anxious minds By Harrison Cook P enn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia unveiled a virtual reality mind- fulness program in September that allows pa- tients, hospital staff or visitors to relax at the facility, according to The Inquirer. Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine partnered with a production group called Blue Design to create the meditative VR program. The 360-degree, 3D computer simulation features calming music and images. A monitor near the setup allows people to see what the user sees. Most patients catch on to the VR program quickly, as it is intuitive to use, according to Fern Nibauer-Co- hen, director of patient engagement and business development at Penn Medicine. "It relaxes even the most anxious of minds," she told The Inquirer. Future program development of the VR system could include simulated trips to a local museum, monuments or lost cities. Penn Medicine is also developing a virtual tour simulation of its oncology department, which patients could access from their own homes before visiting the hospital. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," James Metz, MD, chair of radiation oncology at Penn Medicine, told The Inquirer. He said VR will eventually be used to educate patients to better understand their diag- noses and treatments or to provide stress relief for healthcare providers. n