UpHealth
Driving Digital Transformation in Healthcare

Prior to COVID-19, the traditional healthcare model was significantly behind in adopting digital solutions, as compared with other major industries. The complexity around privacy, reimbursement, and technology adoption was a barrier to the implementation of a digital model.

However, the pandemic forced the healthcare industry to pivot toward virtual care as a stop-gap measure. Now that the dust has settled, it turns out that virtual care is a permanent fixture of healthcare - not just a temporary solution.

With digital care now widely accepted – and often preferred – by providers, payers, and patients alike, the industry is ready for innovative AI and big data solutions that drive virtual care infrastructure development, maximize efficiencies, optimize the patient experience, and improve outcomes.

UpHealth is meeting the demand with advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, health information exchange, language access, and telehealth solutions that solve healthcare’s most complex challenges.

“Our mission is to enable high-quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare for all,” says Melissa Frieswick, Chief Growth Officer of UpHealth. “We do this by applying advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to create digital tools and services that improve efficiency, continuity of care, and patient outcomes.

Bridging Disparities with Language Access and Data Interoperability

A successful virtual care model must address the structural challenges faced by marginalized populations. Language barriers are one such challenge. With as many as 35% of adults preferring languages other than English, it is critical to embed language access solutions into digital care models.

UpHealth provides video and audio interpretation in 250+ languages (including American Sign Language), powered by medically-qualified interpreters across the globe. With language access at the point of care, care teams can connect and communicate with limited English proficient, Deaf, and hard-of-hearing patients.

“When a patient can’t fully understand their diagnoses and treatment plans, it can lead to confusion, mistrust, and ultimately poor health outcomes,” says Andy Panos, EVP of Telehealth at UpHealth, “UpHealth bridges communication barriers by bringing language access to the point of care."

According to Panos, a Deaf patient recently visited an emergency room and handed the nurse a sticky note with ”Martti” written on it, indicating a need for UpHealth’s product, Martti Interpretation. The care team knew right away to connect to an UpHealth American Sign Language interpreter before providing care. Bringing interpretation to the point of care empowered real connection between the patient and provider, and the solution was essential to the patient for future medical needs.

UpHealth addresses other structural challenges as well, including social determinants of health that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations. UpHealth’s Community Information Exchange and Community Health Record technology integrates clinical, behavioral, and social health data into a longitudinal view of utilization across sectors. Care teams can leverage data from across the care continuum to remove barriers to critical resources, improve outcomes, and maximize care coordination.

For example, in a community that leverages UpHealth solutions, a patient with schizophrenia was admitted to the hospital. The patient’s care manager received an email alert and logged into the Community Health Record to determine the patient’s illness and program enrollment history. The care manager then seamlessly identified the patient’s housing case manager and sent a secure message advocating for release to a residential center. Upon the patient’s discharge, UpHealth provided a continuity of care document with a comprehensive summary of the patient’s stay, including discharge, medication progress notes, and treatment plans, available to the full care team. The end-to-end process improved care coordination in alignment with health, human, and care providers.

Connecting Care Teams and Patients, No Matter the Distance

UpHealth’s digitally-enabled healthcare solutions bring care to rural and underserved populations with primary and secondary care hospitals, digital dispensaries, virtual digital clinics, and mobile app technology focused on rural populations around the globe.

Telehealth embedded in traditional care institutions connects all members of the care team via audio and video consultations at the point of care. UpHealth’s solutions empower care teams to support underserved populations and people in crisis by conducting consultations, conferring with specialists, and accessing medically-qualified interpreters instantly and securely.

“UpHealth provides scalable, accessible healthcare solutions, consisting of traditional acute-care hospitals and revolutionary digitally-enabled hospitals that connect patients to specialists worldwide,” says Timothy Wilde, CTO of UpHealth. “Patients in historically underserved areas now have access to care, right where they are.”

The Future of Care

As communities continue to expect and embrace powerful digital-first solutions that make high-quality care accessible to all, the healthcare industry must drive innovative care delivery models.

UpHealth is on the cutting edge of healthcare’s digital transformation, with virtual care solutions that improve efficiency, continuity of care, and patient outcomes, all while addressing social determinants of health and bridging disparities.