An orchestral ode to the #WorldSeries (with Seiji!)

Even orchestras are getting World Series fever!

Great video from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. And great to see Seiji Ozawa conducting again!

Go Sox! Just one more win!

World Series fever strikes the Boston Symphony and the Saint Louis Symphony. Orchestras' brass sections compete in a musical showdown!

The heart of patient engagement may be in Cleveland

Cleveland Clinic wants its patients involved — fully involved.

It starts with opening access to services, functions and information that previously had been hidden or hard to get to. 

Cleveland Clinic's MyChart personal health record is at the heart of the initiative, which has been ongoing for more than a year.

The system sees five steps to improving patient engagement:

• Open access scheduling makes it easier for patients to get appointments with their doctors.
• Improved and deep patient education ensures that patients fully understand their care plans and expectations are set appropriately.
• An "Open Medical Records Policy" allows patients to view comprehensive information online.
• The patient portal provides "two-way messaging" so patients and caregivers can keep lines of communication open.
• And Cleveland Clinic allows for patients to enter their own data into their records so that caregivers can follow patient progress between office visits.

The key ingredient here is communication. And plenty of it.

“In a world defined by health care reform, we see a big role for this kind of communication in coaching patients and eliminating unnecessary office visits,” said David Levin, MD, chief medical information officer at the Cleveland Clinic, in an interview with HealthcareITNews.

Cleveland Clinic's webpage is one of the most patient-centric in health care. There are at least six easy-to-find areas to log in, get help or make an appointment. Detailed health information is only a click or two away. And if you hang on the page a few minutes (and you'll want to!), you'll be prompted for a live chat.

Now that's putting the patient first.

This post originally appeared on EngagingPatients.org, a blog dedicated to advancing patient and family-centered care. I am a member of the Engaging Patients Advisory Board and write for the blog. 

Source: Healthcare Technology Online

Photo Friday: Autumn Cleanup

It's autumn in New England and time for raking.

The grounds crew at Wilcox Park is hard at work readying the beautiful "Victorian Strolling Park" for winter.  In keeping with the park's old time feel, they still use a vintage tractor.

Wilcox Park, Westerly, R.I., shot October 23, 2013.

I was an Arrogant Healthcare Marketing Bastard, at least for a day #AHMB

I recently had the very distinct pleasure of joining the Arrogant Healthcare Marketing Bastards podcast crew on air for a lively and wide-ranging conversation.

We did our best to solve all of health care's problems. Well, at least we got them out in the open!

Three Arrogant Healthcare Marketing Bastards at SHSMD: Chris Bevolo, Jim Rattray and Robert Prevost.

This episode was recorded live from SHSMD 2013 in Chicago on September 30 with hosts Chris Bevolo, CEO of Interval, and Robert Prevost, Senior Account Director. Joining us for a drop-in were Peggy Kane, Vice President of Business Development for GLC, and Warren Johnson, Corporate Marketing Director at MidMichigan Health in Midland, Mich.

The Arrogant Healthcare Marketing Bastards is a weekly show that dissects health care marketing and is hosted by Interval, a Minneapolis-based health care marketing firm. Thanks to Chris, Robert, Jackie Ritacco and Adam Meyer (back in the Twin Cities) for inviting me on the show.

It's always a great listen.

 Listen now: 

Subscribe in iTunes or via RSS.

Tackling the high cost of health care (with Tedy Bruschi)

Tedy Bruschi knows a few things about tackling. Now he's hoping to help Shields MRI tackle the high cost of health care.

If there were any doubt that the health care cost battle is being taken to the public, just watch the 30-second TV spot currently running from Shields Health Care Group featuring their pitchman Bruschi, the former and much beloved New England Patriots linebacker.

Tedy Bruschi can tackle, no question. Tedy talks about tackling the high cost of health care by choosing Shield Health Care Group MRI for the highest value. Shields Health Care Group is the largest independent imaging provider and has the largest network of independent radiation oncology centers in New England.

It's a well-written and very direct ad that touches on some critical points in the health care cost debate.

I'm Tedy Bruschi. Tackling a professional football player is not easy.  But tackling the high cost of health care, now that's easy.

Just go where I go — Shields MRI. 

The Shields family gives you a quality MRI at a sensible price. In fact, they could save you up to $1,000 or more. 

So get out there and take on those high medical costs. It's easier than taking on a really big fullback. Trust me."

A key phrase is "sensible price" followed by a very specific dollar figure — "up to $1,000 or more" — almost like a Geico ad.

In fact, Shields backs it up on its website with a chart comparing its cost for an MRI ($563) to the state average ($693) as well as the average for an MRI at community hospitals ($743) and teaching hospitals ($1,153). The page has a link to an MRI cost savings calculator and tips about how to "talk cost with the doctor."

Of course Bruschi has the last word in the ad:

"Why overpay for an MRI? Choose to go where I go — Shields MRI."

It would be great to see how Shields measures the ad and whether people do really exercise choice in selecting high-cost services, such as imaging. 

As patients become more cost-conscious consumers, especially as more people are enrolled in plans with high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, these direct-to-consumer pitches will surely resonate.