UAB Medicine Partners With Guideway Care for COPD Care Guidance

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Apr 24, 2018: Guideway Care today announced a new care guidance partnership with UAB Medicine for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The partnership aims to improve patient health by providing additional, non-clinical support beyond the hospital stay. Patients in the program receive support and instruction from trained lay navigators, or care guides, through face-to-face, phone and text encounters. Care guidance begins immediately upon a patient being discharged from the hospital and continues for three months, during which the care guides provide one-on-one support and education regarding various aspects of a patient’s treatment plan, ensuring the patient understands medications, completes their prescribed treatment regimens, and is proactive in managing their own health. Care guides also utilize technology tools and reminders to provide patients with additional education and encourage consistency in following a treatment plan. “We know from previous experience at UAB in the realm of cancer care that lay navigators can improve access, coordinate care delivery, and reduce costs for the health system. COPD is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in the U.S., and patients have significant unmet needs that extend beyond the hospital or clinic,” said Anand Iyer, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine. “We have an excellent opportunity to redesign our care delivery team in ways that can improve outcomes for a large population.” Guideway Care expands upon traditional care navigation models with a care guidance program designed to empower patients and fill in the gaps experienced by those navigating the health care system. Guideway offers a powerful blend of one-on-one coaching and technological support to drive improvements in patient health, lower unnecessary hospital readmissions, and assist hospitals in succeeding under bundled payment models.

About Guideway Care

Guideway Care works with care providers to support patient care post-discharge, achieve better outcomes, improve patient satisfaction and to control the costs of providing outstanding care. At the core of its solution is the training and management of specialized disease-specific Care Guides, non-clinical personnel who assist patients and their families by coordinating care, information, and identifying resources across a broad spectrum of services. In addition, Guideway Care provides proprietary technology solutions and proven protocols to ensure a superior total experience for patients, families, and care providers. Guideway is helping practices meet the requirements of Alternative Payment Models (APMs), including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Initiative and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP).

About UAB Medicine

UAB Medicine comprises the School of Medicine and the $4.3 billion UAB Health System that includes all of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s patient-care activities and 2,300 licensed beds in six hospitals, one of which is UAB Hospital — the third-largest public hospital in the United States, winner of the Women’s Choice award, and one of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals. UAB is the state of Alabama’s largest single employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center; its professional schools and specialty patient-care programs are consistently ranked among the nation’s top 50. UAB is the largest academic medical center in Alabama and one of the top four largest academic medical centers in the United States. UAB’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science is advancing innovative discoveries for better health as a two-time recipient of the prestigious Center for Translational Science Award. Find more information at www.uab.edu and www.uabmedicine.org.