FAQs

WHAT IS STREAMD AND HOW DO PATIENTS INTERACT WITH IT?

STREAMD creates digital health assistants that answer patient-generated questions in real time and send patients daily educational and empathetic reminders as they prepare and recover from surgery. STREAMD uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to provide answers to a wide range of patient questions about their surgery tailored to the treatment preferences and care culture of each physician. Unlike apps and portals, STREAMD is text-messaging based, making it intuitive and conversational. Patients can text their digital health assistant to receive on-demand information that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, resulting in instant service and a seamless experience for patients. If STREAMD cannot answer a question, patients are quickly directed to on-call providers for further assistance. As STREAMD interacts with patients, its knowledge base and insight will continue to expand through both human and machine learning.

WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION DOES STREAMD PROVIDE TO PATIENTS?

From preparing for surgery to physical therapy exercises postoperatively, STREAMD offers patients an unprecedented breadth of information tailored to each physician. STREAMD assists patients with over 150 topics of discussion including: pain management, scheduling, recovery concerns (bandage & showering instructions), physical therapy, and more.

WILL I NEED TO HIRE A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE TO MANAGE STREAMD?

No. STREAMD is rooted in simplicity with a low barrier to entry and serves as an effective patient engagement tool that reduces clinic staff workload and improves the patient experience. STREAMD purposely avoids integration with an electronic medical record system, thereby allowing patients to enroll themselves and not create another workflow for clinical staff. This model has resulted in high patient enrollment rates without effort from the clinical staff, making it widely embraced by care teams and patients.

WHAT IS THE ONBOARDING PROCESS?

The onboarding and implementation process for STREAMD is designed to be as turnkey as possible. It starts with each physician filling out a short onboarding survey about their treatment preferences. Our team will use that survey, along with any existing patient materials, to compose and customize each set of messages and deliver them to the physician for final review. The total time commitment required by each physician is less than 2-3 hours (which our customers say is a nominal time investment that results in tremendous time savings after implementation).

IS STREAMD HIPAA-COMPLIANT?

Yes, STREAMD has several measures in place to protect patient information and privacy. STREAMD's web application (the software program that powers STREAMD) is hosted on a HIPAA compliant server. Information that is stored on STREAMD's web application is encrypted and protected by multiple virtual and physical security measures.

Additionally, STREAMD is entirely patient-driven, which means patients voluntarily sign up to participate. Patients who self-enroll in their physician's program provide their cell phone number, type of surgery, and date of surgery to STREAMD during their text enrollment and this information is stored on STREAMD's HIPAA compliant server. During the enrollment process, patients agree to STREAMD's Terms and Conditions, which also describes this information.

Lastly, STREAMD does not send messages that include protected health information. All SMS messages include generic information that is found on the physician's pre- and post-op surgery instructions.

WHAT EFFECT WILL STREAMD HAVE ON MY PATIENTS?

STREAMD’s digital physician assistants fulfill patients’ desires for a smart-phone based software program and autonomously text patients the “right information at the right time”. STREAMD is always available to answer patient-generated questions, reducing the friction of communication between patients and their physician. No longer do patients have to call in for recovery instructions or clarification.

Unlike a generic “WebMD” search, when patients text their question, they get an answer tailored perfectly to their surgeon’s care preferences that are already in place, delivering helpful responses in a matter of seconds without requiring any ‘on call’ responsibilities from the care team. In a randomized controlled clinical trial, joint replacement patients who participated in STREAMD had shorter dependence on narcotics, called their physician’s office less, and made fewer emergency room visits after surgery. They also spent more time on home exercises, had a quicker return of knee motion, and were more satisfied.

WHAT VALUE DOES STREAMD ADD BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL EHR?

Data from the 2015 Medicare EHR Program showed that relatively few patients access their health information electronically when offered the ability to do so. When they do use an online portal, it's often to access information before or after a health care encounter, such as reviewing lab results or sharing information with another provider.

STREAMD, on the other hand, is a daily touch point that conveniently sends patients the right information at the right time to guide them through their surgical journey. STREAMD does not rely on the patient to initiate the action, such as by logging in with a username and password. STREAMD proactively delivers helpful information directly to the patients' SMS inbox on their cell phone based on the procedure they had, the surgeon's preferences, and what stage of their recovery they're in.

One of our customers was describing STREAMD to a colleague and said it's like having a knowledgeable, clinical friend who's sending you helpful information and encouragement before and after surgery. STREAMD becomes a part of patients' daily lives by delivering this information in a way that is not overwhelming or difficult to access.

STREAMD is the consistent touch point patients want and providers need to better streamline care and improve patient engagement, adherence, and satisfaction.

CAN PATIENTS DO HOME-BASED PHYSICAL THERAPY WITH STREAMD?

Yes, hip and knee replacement patients enrolled in STREAMD have the option to complete home-based PT rather than traveling to traditional outpatient therapy.

DOES STREAMD IMPROVE MY ONLINE REPUTATION AND REVIEWS?

Yes. Patients enrolled in STREAMD will be directed to their respective physician's review website to share their 5-star experiences online. More than just capturing favorable patient experiences, STREAMD’s assistants can identify patients who may be struggling or unhappy and direct those patients to appropriate triage service lines to manage those experiences.

HOW DOES STREAMD HELP WITH BPCI-ADVANCED?

In preparation for more widespread participation in bundled payments, orthopaedic practices around the country are using STREAMD to help achieve optimal outcomes at a lower cost and leverage the potential financial advantages that come along with successful participation in BPCI-Advanced. By providing continuous patient outreach, STREAMD integrates with patients’ daily lives and provides meaningful education that prevents unnecessary healthcare costs during the 90-day care management models.

Rooted in education and empathy, STREAMD’s messages help to relieve patient anxieties and set expectations so patients understand how to appropriately manage the post-operative challenges that may arise, especially as it relates to preparing patients for home-based recovery and directing them away from rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities. Educating patients on what’s ‘normal’ or to be expected can help relieve the financial burden of post-acute care services (e.g. home care) and ensure they do not go to the emergency room for something that can be treated at home. Additionally, patients can opt-in for home-based physical therapy exercises, alleviating the need for and expense of traditional physical therapy.