Inception Health Collaborative for Healthcare Delivery Science (CHDS) Projects 

Overview

A systematic review focusing on the impact of digital tools for providing health coaching and education and facilitating behavior change in patients with prediabetes or type II diabetes.

Key Learnings & Impact

• 21 studies included in review; nearly all report improvements in key diabetes indicators (e.g., HbA1c, weight loss, fasting blood glucose, and BMI) with the use of digital coaching
• Similar, if not better, results for long term management of diabetes were found for digital coaching compared to in-person coaching – such digital tools can more easily be scaled to the growing population of type II diabetes patients and confer the same, or better, benefits.

Results Dissemination

• Systematic review published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, March 2021

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Brad Gershkowitz
CHDS student 2019
MD Class of 2022


Brad Crotty, MD, MPH
Medical Director for Digital
Engagement, Inception Health

Project Team
Conor J Hillert, MD class of 2021

Overview

An analysis of the impact of centralized scheduling on primary care referrals to specialty care providers, including an assessment of referral completion rates and time to schedule.

Key Learnings & Impact

• Specialty referral rates increased slightly after centralized scheduling implementation, but the increase was driven primarily by one specialty
• The time to schedule improved from 21 days to 15 days

Results Dissemination

• Results published in Wisconsin Medical Journal, July 2021

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Quinn Bongers, MD
Class of 2021


Brad Crotty, MD, MPH,
Medical Director for Digital
Engagement, Inception Health

Project Team
Chris Decker, MD
John Fangman, MD

Overview

An analysis of a digital tool implemented at Froedtert Health to provide internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for patients either as a primary form of therapy or as a supplement form of therapy.

Key Learnings & Impact

• A digital mental health program deployed in primary care an outpatient behavioral settings reached nearly 2,300 patients in its first two years
• Patients had an average 23% reduction in PHQ-9 scores and a  a 26% reduction in GAD-7 scores

Results Dissemination

• Systematic review published in Healthcare (Amsterdam, Netherlands), June 2021

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Zak Sharif-Sidi
CHDS student 2018
MD Class of 2021


Brad Crotty, MD, MPH
Medical Director for Digital
Engagement, Inception Health

Project Team
Melek Somai, MD, MPH
Ryan Hanson, MS
Christine Shen, MD Class of 2022
William Wong
Lawrence Miller, PsyD
Karen Fickel, MD
Erin Green, RN
Jaymes Burns, BS
Caitlin Dunn, MHA

Overview

An analysis of the impact of centralized scheduling on primary care referrals to specialty care providers, including an assessment of referral completion rates and time to schedule.

Key Learnings & Impact

• Specialty referral rates increased slightly after centralized scheduling implementation, but the increase was driven primarily by one specialty
• The time to schedule improved from 21 days to 15 days

Results Dissemination

• Results published in Wisconsin Medical Journal, July 2021

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Alexandra ‘Sasha’ Polovneff, MD
Class of 2024


Brad Crotty, MD, MPH
Medical Director for Digital
Engagement, Inception Health

Project Team
Noorie Hyun, PhD
Yilu ‘Bill’ Dong, PhD
Michael Decker, MD
Natalie Mortensen, MSN, RN, NI-BC
Jeana Holt, PhD, DNP, RN FNP-BC
Aaron Winn, PhD
Prakash Laud, PhD
Melek Somai, MD, MPH

Overview

A qualitative assessment of the bedside nursing perspective on a newly implemented early warning system (EWS) with centralized monitoring. Completed concurrently with quantitative assessment – see F & MCW projects.

Key Learnings & Impact

• Six key themes emerged regarding perceptions of the EWS: alert timeliness, lack of accuracy, workflow interruptions, actionability of alerts, underappreciation of core nursing skills, and opportunity cost of EWS implementation
• Changes implemented as a result of this study included limiting calls from the centralized monitoring team

Results Dissemination

• Results published in BMJ Quality and Safety, March 2022

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Emilie Braun
CHDS student 2019
MD Class of 2022


Brad Crotty, MD, MPH
Medical Director for Digital
Engagement, Inception Health

Project Team
Sid Singh, MD, MS, MBA
Annie Penlesky, MPH
Erin Strong, MD, MPH, MBA
Jeana Holt, PhD, DNP, RN, FNP-BC
Kathlyn Fletcher, MD, MA
Michael Stadler, MD – Chief Medical Officer
Ann Nattinger, MD, MPH

Overview

We evaluated a daily remote patient monitoring (RPM) program for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and are managing symptoms from home. We assessed whether patients managed with RPM were more likely to be admitted to the hospital compared to those not monitored.

Key Learnings & Impact

• Patients managed through RPM had a 30% lower odds of hospitalization
• Of hospitalized patients, those managed through RPM sought care escalation later than those not managed; however, RPM patients had a shorter length of stay and were less likely to be admitted to the ICU

Results Dissemination

• Oral presentation at Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting, April 2022
• Results published in JAMA Network Open, July 2022

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Brad Crotty, MD, MPH
Medical Director for Digital
Engagement, Inception Health

In partnership with Inception Health

Project Team
Yilu ‘Bill’ Dong, PhD
Prakash Laud, PhD
Ryan Hanson, MS
Bradley Gershkowitz, BS - CHDS summer student ‘19
Annie Penlesky, MPH
Neemit Shah, BA – CHDS summer student ‘21
Sid Singh, MD, MS, MBA
Ann B. Nattinger, MD, MPH
Melek Somai, MD, MPH
Michael Anderes, MBA
Erin Green, RN
Karen Fickel, MD