What is the biggest problem in healthcare? If you were to ask Vishal Mehta, MD, he would say physician and provider communication is broken. In response to the flawed communication system, Dr. Mehta founded Healthy-TXT four years ago. Healthy-TXT provides patients physician-designed health programs that are accessible through their mobile devices. Patients can receive essential information through text messages, a mobile voice app, email, video or Healthy-TXT's website. In a mere four years, more than 10,000 patients have utilized Healthy-TXT.
Dr. Mehta explains patients only retain approximately 10 percent of an office conversation, and therefore patients often forget information pertinent to their recovery. This resulted in numerous phone calls to physicians who would reiterate information, costing physicians a valuable resource — time. Healthy-TXT aims to change the way patient receive information.
Through Healthy-TXT's text messaging and voice memo app, patients receive all the essential information they can then share with their family and friends. Healthy-TXT's text messaging and voice memo app saves physicians approximately five minutes per new patient. Additionally, the apps result in a 60 percent reduction in active tasks after implementing the Healthy-TXT system.
"There is not a lot of interest in adding a third layer in patient and provider communication," Dr. Mehta explains. "The point is to have a one way communication system to educate patients after a diagnosis and answer questions before they become questions."
Prior to Healthy-TXT, patients would often call Dr. Mehta three days to four days after rotator cuff repair surgeries, asking how to use the sling. While the patient received all this information in the physician's office, a patient is often overwhelmed with the surgery and all the information accompanying the procedure that they often forget how to properly use the sling. Healthy-TXT benefits providers and patients by providing patients with a video instructing them on how to use the sling. Patients receive the video about the sling two days post-op.
"It is a two-prong approach where we take the old paper way of education and put the information online to create a program that walks patients through the recovery process," says Dr. Mehta. "The approach allows a patient's whole circle of care to know the necessary information."
Last year, Healthy-TXT underwent a randomized control trial with UCLA to prove Healthy-TXT's effectiveness. Healthy-TXT implemented a pediatric program, which provided disadvantaged populations videos in English and Spanish. The videos instructed participants about the best child welfare practices. The trial yielded positive results, with 97 percent of participants saying the program helped them take better care of their children. The pediatric program is now expanding to 12 different sites.
Healthy-TXT's text messaging features is well-received by patients who feel providers are invested in their welfare, in and out of the operating room. The personalized messages make patients feel connected to their physicians, making them more engaged in their own health following surgery.
Healthy-TXT is expanding, and is currently negating with other major health systems throughout the nation. In an increasingly technology-driven healthcare system, Healthy-TXT is hitting the marker by creating a more efficient communication system that benefits both the physician and the patient.