"Discharge planning is not just about getting patients out of the hospital; it's about ensuring they have the support they need to succeed at home"

Dr. Donald Berwick, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

AI Powered Discharge Companion: Confidence and Safety Meet Innovation

60 Seconds Plus AI: For Improved Outcomes

Imagine clinicians prompting patients to text a simple word like 'discharge' to 211-411, instantly syncing their mobile device with your system and providing AI supported resources. This service acts as a concierge, answering essential questions and guiding patients to helpful resources, enhancing quality scores, strengthening community connections, and improving overall outcomes.

A 24-Hour, Complementary, Sandbox Trial

Picture being able to deploy this system-wide in just 24 hours. Your team can explore, learn, and test with minimal training, assured of 100% safety. This method promotes creativity, fosters cooperation, and supports grassroots adoption. It's an approach that not only meets today's immediate needs but also smartly lays the groundwork for an exciting future.

A Robust Solution Built on "Being There"

The Discharge Companion is the culmination of a decade's journey — from pilots and IRB studies to field usage and invaluable feedback. Listening to patients, nurses, and community members has been our compass. It’s built on an engagement platform centered on science, infused with hundreds of soft, yet essential features for adoption. Ready for scale, the Discharge Companion is a testament to our unwavering commitment to be there, every step of the way, evolving with the needs of healthcare systems and the communities they serve.

The Risk Lies in Waiting

The Discharge Companion offers 100% safe AI, empowering your system to safely explore and leverage immediate benefits and effectively plan for tomorrow. With a proven track record and a foundation in real-world application, it's not just a tool but a partner in your healthcare journey — always ready, always reliable.

Maximize Efficiency and Morale with the Discharge Companion

Streamlined Workload for Clinical Teams:

Automated Inquiries: By addressing routine questions, the Discharge Companion significantly reduces the administrative load, freeing up staff to focus on direct patient care.
Deeper Care Focus: The time saved on common inquiries allows clinicians to prioritize complex care needs and patient education, empowering patients with a better understanding of terminologies, resources, community services, and their care journey ahead.

Elevated Staff Morale and Patient Engagement:

Reduced Repetitive Tasks: Minimizing monotonous work leads to a more positive and dynamic work environment.
Meaningful Patient Interactions: Patients, now better versed and confident, benefit from enriched dialogue and attention to their needs, thanks to the Discharge Companion's behavioral science principles that enhance communication.
Enhanced Job Satisfaction: The reduction in stress and increase in rewarding patient interactions correlate with improved staff retention, as evidenced by integrated survey results shortly after discharge for immediate feedback.

Illustrative Scenario: Enhancing the Discharge Process:

Efficient Discharge Instructions: A nurse instructs a patient to text "discharge" to 211-411, which activates the Discharge Companion and links to the unit's specified engagement pathways and resources.
Streamlined Process: This efficient method simplifies the discharge process, curtailing the need for extensive discharge discussions and enabling the clinical team to support more patients effectively and efficiently.

Show More Examples

Personalized Patient Support:
- Diet and Nutrition Guidance: For dietary inquiries, the Companion guides patients to their Electronic Health Record (EHR) portal, offering tailored advice and resources.
- Medication Management: It provides video tutorials for navigating the EHR portal to check and manage medications, enhancing patient autonomy in medication management.
Community Resource Integration:
- Local Service Directory: The Companion's 'phone book' function lists local services, enabling patients and caregivers to integrate these contacts into their personal phone books, thus facilitating access to local care and support.
Multimodal and Multilingual Engagement:
- Adaptive Interface and Audio Support: To accommodate diverse visual and auditory needs, the Companion features adjustable fonts, high-contrast modes, and text-to-speech options.
- Language Translation: It offers translation into various languages, ensuring accessibility for patients with different linguistic backgrounds.
Behavioral Engagement and Empathy:
- Behavioral Science Techniques: The Companion employs strategies based on behavioral science to actively engage patients in their care, making the health management process interactive and empathetic.
- Empathetic Interaction: Designed with empathy at its core, the Companion provides a comforting and supportive experience with user-friendly interfaces and culturally sensitive communications.

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Discharge Companion Supports Patients' Transition Home

Empowering Patients with Knowledge and Confidence

Informed Patients: The Discharge Companion ensures patients are well-informed about their health and care after discharge, fostering confidence and comprehension which are essential for a successful recovery.
Reduced Anxiety: Patients equipped with knowledge exhibit reduced anxiety and are less likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors, contributing to a positive post-discharge environment.
Effective Engagement: By increasing patient awareness and confidence, the Discharge Companion facilitates healthier interactions with healthcare systems, enhancing post-discharge care effectiveness.

Guidance to Essential Resources, Supported by Research

Utilizing Portals and System Resources: The tool directs patients to consult their health portal for specific post-discharge instructions, fostering an understanding of how to access and utilize these resources effectively.
Improved Adherence: Research confirms that informed patients are more likely to follow medical advice, attend follow-up appointments, and participate in care activities, leading to better health outcomes.

Comprehensive Support

Holistic Care: With a vast collection of educational content and connections to local health resources, the Discharge Companion supports holistic care and encourages long-term health management.
Patient Autonomy: The Discharge Companion is designed to promote patient engagement and autonomy, key factors in successful transitions from hospital to home care.
Inclusive Access: In compliance with 508C standards, the Discharge Companion is accessible to all, ensuring equitable care across languages and abilities.

Use Case: Empowered Self-Care and Learning

Scenario: After discharge, Patient Pam uses the Discharge Companion to ask questions and learn about her post-discharge care.
Benefit: Pam becomes more knowledgeable about her condition and the community resources available to her.
Detail: The tool educates her on terminology, common questions, and directs her to community services that can further aid in her recovery.

Clarifying Medical Terminology:
- User Query: A patient asks for an explanation of a medical term mentioned in their discharge paperwork.
- Companion Response: The Companion provides a clear, easy-to-understand definition of the term, along with related information or context as necessary, ensuring the patient fully understands their condition and care plan.
Guidance Through the Discharge Process:
- User Query: A patient is unsure about the steps involved in the discharge process.
- Companion Response: The Companion outlines the typical discharge process, including final consultations with healthcare providers, medication instructions, follow-up appointment scheduling, and the availability of support services post-discharge.
Home Safety Tips:
- User Query: A patient inquires about how to prepare their home for a safe recovery.
- Companion Response: The Companion offers a checklist of home safety tips, such as removing trip hazards, ensuring good lighting, setting up a comfortable recovery area, and organizing medications for easy access.
Understanding Post-Discharge Symptoms:
- User Query: A patient wants to know what symptoms they should monitor for after discharge.
- Companion Response: The Companion provides information on common symptoms to watch for based on the patient's specific condition or procedure, advising when to seek medical attention and how to report these symptoms through their healthcare provider's portal.
Nutrition and Meal Planning:
- User Query: A patient seeks advice on what foods to eat during recovery.
- Companion Response: The Companion suggests nutritious meal plans and dietary tips tailored to the patient's health needs and recovery stage, emphasizing foods that promote healing and well-being, and offers guidance on where to find more detailed nutrition advice.
Managing Follow-Up Appointments:
- - User Query: A patient queries about scheduling follow-up appointments.
  - Companion Response: The Discharge Companion provides a step-by-step guide on how to use the hospital's online portal to view and schedule follow-up appointments, including how to access virtual consultations if available.

Understanding Test Results:
- User Query: A user asks for help interpreting recent lab test results.
- Companion Response: The Companion directs the user to the specific section in their EHR where the lab results are explained in simple language and offers general information about what these results might mean, advising a consultation with a healthcare provider for detailed interpretation.
Exercise and Rehabilitation:
- User Query: A patient inquires about recommended exercises post-surgery.
- Companion Response: The Companion provides access to a library of video tutorials on safe, post-surgery exercises, tailored to the patient's specific procedure, and suggests consulting with a physical therapist for a personalized plan.
Mental Health Resources:
- User Query: A patient expresses feeling overwhelmed and anxious post-discharge.
- Companion Response: The Companion offers a list of mental health resources, including support hotlines and local counseling services, and provides calming exercises and mindfulness practices to help manage anxiety.
Navigating Insurance and Billing:
- User Query: A user asks about understanding and managing hospital bills.
- Companion Response: The Companion guides the user through the hospital's billing portal, explaining how to view itemized bills, understand insurance coverage, and whom to contact for financial assistance or queries.

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Strengthening the Community Health Ecosystem

The Discharge Companion is a vital bridge between patients and the broader health community, fostering a robust and responsive healthcare network.

Empowering Diverse Communities with Multilingual Communication:

With support for over 50 languages, the Discharge Companion breaks down language barriers, making health information accessible and inclusive for all community members.

Promoting Engagement and Building Connections:

The tool enhances community health by answering questions in a way that encourages participation and strengthens social bonds within diverse populations.
Information is delivered in various formats—videos, text, audio, with adjustable font sizes—to meet the diverse needs of individuals, whether they are at home or on the go.

Cultivating Partnerships for Preventive Health:

The tool lays the groundwork for collaborative relationships between health systems and community resources, placing a strong emphasis on preventive care to foster a healthier community dynamic.
By making healthcare information widely accessible, the Discharge Companion amplifies the visibility and impact of health services, facilitating better health outcomes across the community.

Stimulating Active Participation in Community Health:

The Discharge Companion motivates individuals to take part in community health initiatives, promoting a shared responsibility for health and wellness.

It guides patients and their families to pertinent resources, ensuring a continuous support network once they leave the hospital.

Use Case: Enhancing Resource Connectivity and Feedback:

Scenario: A patient uses the Discharge Companion to find local transportation options for follow-up healthcare appointments.
Benefit: Access to a tailored list of services with directions and videos simplifies the process, and the ability to add contacts directly to their phone encourages the utilization of local resources.
Feedback Loop: Patient interactions and subsequent feedback provide community partners with real-time data, allowing them to assess the adoption rates and patient satisfaction, leading to continuous improvement of services offered.

Show More Examples

Language Accessibility for Non-English Speakers:
- Companion Help: Translates discharge instructions into Spanish; provides links to Spanish-speaking healthcare providers.
- Benefit: Ensures clear understanding and comfort for Spanish-speaking patients.
Connecting to Mental Health Services:
- Companion Help: Offers a list of local mental health services and therapists; adds contacts directly to the phone book.
- Benefit: Facilitates easy access to mental health support, encouraging timely care.
Finding Specialized Care Facilities:
- Companion Help: Displays a video tour of specialized care facilities; offers articles on chronic condition management.
- Benefit: Helps patients find appropriate care and educates them about managing their conditions.
Educational Resources for Diabetic Patients:
- Companion Help: Scrolls to informative videos/articles about diabetes management; links to support groups.
- Benefit: Provides comprehensive knowledge, helping patients manage their diabetes effectively.
Access to Physical Therapy Services:
- Companion Help: Shows a list of physical therapy clinics; provides instructional exercise videos.
- Benefit: Assists in finding suitable therapy and encourages proactive recovery at home.
Support for Elderly Patients:
- Companion Help: Lists home care services for elderly care; allows direct phone book addition.
- Benefit: Enhances access to specialized elderly care, ensuring comfort and proper assistance.
Nutritional Guidance and Resources:
- Companion Help: Offers nutrition guides; links to nutritionists and cooking classes; shows cooking video tutorials.
- Benefit: Educates on healthy eating, promoting better lifestyle choices.
Pediatric Care Resources:
- Companion Help: Provides a list of pediatricians and child healthcare facilities; includes informational articles.
- Benefit: Ensures parents have access to quality pediatric care and knowledge.
Community Fitness Programs:
- Companion Help: Displays community fitness programs, workout videos, and local fitness center links.
- Benefit: Encourages active lifestyle and community engagement in fitness activities.
Transportation Assistance for Follow-up Appointments:
- Companion Help: Lists accessible transportation services; offers scheduling instruction videos.
- Benefit: Simplifies transportation arrangements, ensuring timely attendance at healthcare appointments.

Concluding Paragraph: The Discharge Companion plays a crucial role in building patient confidence and fostering social connections. By providing tailored information, resources, and educational content, it empowers patients to navigate their health journey with assurance. This tool not only strengthens the patient's sense of independence but also supports community partners by promoting their services and facilitating better health outcomes. Its diverse functionalities, ranging from language support to local service directories, ensure that patients feel connected and confident in their ability to manage their health, thereby reinforcing the essential social fabric of healthcare within the community.

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24HR Sandbox: Test Drive with Your Brand, Team and Community

Inclusive Two-Channel Approach:

The sandbox edition of the Discharge Companion introduces a dual-channel platform: one patient-facing to simulate the actual Discharge Companion experience, and another dedicated to training for the health system's clinical teams, staff, and executives. This allows for a holistic exploration of capabilities. We provide your system with a branded edition of the companion and active 211-411 onboarding code to begin exploring.

Simulated Patient Experience:

The patient-facing channel is designed to mirror the Discharge Companion's interface, offering a realistic preview of how patients will interact with the system, access information, and utilize resources post-discharge.

Educational Channel for Health Professionals:

A separate educational channel provides a deep dive into the Discharge Companion’s features and the broader implications of AI in healthcare. This facilitates a learning environment where clinical teams can familiarize themselves with the tool, understand its immediate and long-term applications, and strategize on its integration into patient care.

Positive Messaging and Strategic Discussions:

Both channels are geared towards fostering a positive outlook on technology adoption, facilitating strategic discussions among staff, and collecting feedback. This approach ensures that the messaging and utility of the Discharge Companion align with the health system's values and goals.
As feedback from all stakeholders is gathered, it shapes a forward-thinking atmosphere and informs the ongoing refinement of the platform. This collective input lays the groundwork for a health system that is optimistic, progressive, and responsive to the needs of its community.

Show Phases of Exploration

Phase I: Internal Team Coordination

In the initial phase, lasting 1-2 weeks, lead health team members will distribute a branded Companion code exclusively within their inner circle. This will allow them to familiarize themselves with the system's features and interface, share insights, and fine-tune the user experience. Throughout this period, the Companion will continuously remind users that it is a Sandbox edition intended solely for exploration and feedback collection.

Phase II: System-Wide Exploration

During the next 1-2 week phase, the Companion will be released to a broader audience within the health system for experimental use. This phase allows for extensive testing and gathering of feedback from a wider range of users, including administrative staff, clinicians, and support teams. The system will maintain notifications to users that they are engaging with a Sandbox version, ensuring clarity on the platform's exploratory purpose.

Phase III: Early Patient Adoption

In the final phase, also spanning 1-2 weeks, the health system will begin to introduce the Companion to patients, positioning it as an early adopter version. The messaging will be adjusted to inform patients that they are among the first to experience this innovative tool, setting expectations appropriately. This phase is critical for collecting patient feedback and making adjustments before a full-scale launch.

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From Sandbox Exploration to Scalable Deployment

Seamless Transition to Go Live:

After a thorough exploration period in the sandbox, health systems can swiftly transition to a live environment. This changeover can be achieved within days, not weeks, ensuring there is minimal downtime and maximum continuity in patient engagement.

Carrying Over Quality Content and Brand Identity:

The transition from sandbox to live doesn’t mean starting from scratch. The quality content and simulated interactions from the sandbox are carried over. We seamlessly integrate your system's branding and mission to present a consistent and familiar interface to users.

A Turnkey Solution for Immediate Impact:

With the foundational content and system branding in place, the Discharge Companion becomes a turnkey solution, ready for immediate deployment. It's designed to align with your health system's operational flow and patient care ethos from day one.

Future Expansion Tailored to Your Needs:

As your system grows and evolves, so does the Discharge Companion. You have the option to customize further, adding additional content, integrating community resources, and developing specific codes and pathways for different departments based on the unique needs and feedback of your organization.

Supporting the Triple Aim in Healthcare plus 1

Refining Patient Experience:

The Discharge Companion enriches the post-discharge journey with accessible educational content and reminders, fostering an environment that significantly enhances patient engagement and satisfaction.

Boosting Population Health:

By providing comprehensive resources in multiple languages and facilitating connections to community services, the platform plays an instrumental role in equipping patients with the knowledge essential for improved health outcomes and preventing readmissions.

Streamlining Healthcare Efficiency:

Automating routine discharge inquiries liberates clinical teams to concentrate on delivering quality patient care, thereby increasing operational efficiency and contributing to the reduction of healthcare expenses.

Reducing Clinician and Doctor Burnout:

A key addition to our objectives is mitigating healthcare professional burnout. By leveraging behavioral science in chat interactions and provided content, the Discharge Companion alleviates the strain of repetitive tasks. It fosters communication techniques that reduce anxiety and aggressive behavior, creating a more positive and efficient workplace. Clinicians benefit from feeling valued and supported, with the system offering ongoing coaching and positive reinforcement tools.

Fostering Data-Driven Evolution:

Analytics on patient engagement and health outcomes, integral to the platform, are pivotal in advancing the Triple Aim's goals. Continuous feedback mechanisms propel the system’s adaptation and enhancement in response to the changing demands of healthcare providers and patient populations.

Discharge Companion: Supported by 100's of Studies

Harnessing the Power of Evidence-Based Research

In addition to aligning with the Triple Aim framework, the Discharge Companion harnesses real-world evidence and data-driven research on effective discharge and care transitions. It brings together scientific insights on:

Post-discharge SMS messaging to encourage follow-up care
Chat-based AI for interactive information and support
Meaningful content tailored to patient needs
Community connections for holistic care
Social encouragement to motivate engagement

By synthesizing robust evidence on communication, education, comprehension, behavior change, and support systems, the Discharge Companion represents integrated best practices powered by advanced AI.

This fusion of human insight and technology transforms care by implementing AI in a manner firmly rooted in research. The result is a solution that leverages the best of evidence-based practices and innovation.

We encourage you to visit the Research page to learn more about the rigorous science behind the genusConnect platform.

Pricing: Choose Your Path to Innovation

Comprehensive Pricing for Every Stage of Integration

Sandbox Edition: Your Complimentary Trial Awaits Embark on the AI journey without upfront costs. Our Sandbox Edition is offered at no charge for participating healthcare systems. It's a robust trial that empowers your team to discover firsthand how the Discharge Companion can transform patient care. Engage with the full suite of features and assess the impact, all under our standard branding.

Starting from $1.00 per discharge: When you are ready to advance your sandbox for public use, pricing begins at $1.00 per discharge, plus customization and consulting fees.

Customization: Tailored Solutions for Unique Challenges We recognize the diversity of needs across healthcare systems. Our customization service goes beyond the standard offering. From integrating community partners to creating custom content and assigning various Genus codes for different departments or services, we craft a solution that resonates with your unique requirements. Customization and consulting fees are determined based on the complexity and scope of your bespoke needs.

Get Started with Confidence Schedule your appointment today to embark on the Discharge Companion journey. Schedule a 30-minute consultation—we'll answer your questions, understand your specific needs, and initiate your Sandbox experience within 24 hours.

Our Story: Passion-Fueled Innovation - From Trial to Triumph

The journey of the Discharge Companion is a tale of transformation, akin to a phoenix rising from the ashes. It's a story born from the challenges and lessons learned during our pilot project with Henry Ford Health System, known as "careVoice". While initially met with excitement, this endeavor faced unexpected hurdles that ultimately led to invaluable insights and a groundbreaking shift in our approach. We are deeply grateful for the open dialogue with the clinical team, the trust placed in the health system, and the real-world experiences that have shaped this innovative solution.

Because of careVoice, we now have:

211-411 for onboarding any device or service in today's human workflow within seconds.
PWA technology - apps that don't require a download, instantly available and accessible.
An AI concierge designed to answer thousands of questions, guiding users to audio and video instructions for common needs.

We were both inspired by what really happens in health systems and humbled by the challenge and importance of getting it right.

Detailed Story: Care Voice was envisioned as a game-changer, a tool enabling patients to record, play, and share discharge instructions. However, this well-intended concept encountered practical challenges such as:

Stressful app downloads and registrations.
Learning new software under the watchful eyes of clinical staff.
The discomfort of recording medical professionals.

After a year of preparation, design, and development, we faced a pivotal moment. Testing revealed not a flaw in technology, but a misalignment with human workflow. A late-night brainstorming, inspired by the simplicity of QR code technology, led to an epiphany. We realized the solution had to be as straightforward as scanning a code in a parking lot – a process seamlessly integrating into everyday life within 60 seconds.

This realization spurred the reengineering of our entire platform, now utilizing Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) – eliminating the need for store downloads and simplifying onboarding. Coupled with advancements in AI, we evolved our approach to offer a concierge-like solution at discharge. This tool answers common questions and connects individuals with resources effortlessly.

The genesis of the Discharge Companion, therefore, is not just a story of technological innovation but of listening, learning, and adapting to the human element in healthcare. It's a testament to our commitment to making healthcare more accessible, intuitive, and aligned with the needs of patients and clinical teams alike. We're excited to share this gem of experience with our audience, a product reshaped by real-world insights and tailored for real-life applications.

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