Wellopp Boosts Patient Engagement to Improve Health Care

Quality of health care in the United States is among the best in the world, but it’s also among the most inefficient. Hospital readmissions cost our nation’s healthcare systems a staggering $25 billion per year. That’s why Wellopp in Toledo designs products that keep patients engaged in their own health care every step of the way, leading to improved outcomes and lower costs for patients, providers and payers.

“Wellopp identifies patient social risk that’s outside the provider walls. Too many patients enter the healthcare system because of social needs rather than health issues. Treating people’s social needs in a medical setting is inefficient and very costly. We help the provider and payer work with the patient to figure out where the patient can get the most help from community resources while reducing strain on health care,” said Tom Lauzon, CEO of Wellopp. “We took steps to improve patient engagement in the provider’s office, to really understand the patient’s social needs.”

Wellopp’s digital solutions work with every type of learner; auditory, visual and kinesthetic components in the software maximize patient engagement and compliance. Wellscreen is powered by multi-sensory assessments, completed via tablet at a patient’s bedside, which save care teams time by eliminating tedious data entry. Patient responses build a profile within the CarePath Dashboard, which informs providers of potential healthcare risks present in the patient’s social environment.

Wellopp Messenger is a component of the solution that stresses continued communication with the patient and reminds them of any timely alerts related to their health, whether it be to take their medicine, make a doctor’s appointment or connect the patient with a social service to help them achieve daily tasks that would otherwise be impossible, like picking up a prescription when transportation’s not available. Patients who remain engaged and follow their care plan through Wellopp can also earn “reward” points, which can be redeemed for Wellopp Rewards—used to purchase items using gift cards.

Wellopp’s team built their digital solutions with support from ProMedica Innovations, a northwest Ohio regional partner of the Ohio Third Frontier. Initially called Homeward Healthcare, the company received crucial capital from the Toledo health system, office space, and leans on the community of clinicians to ensure the platform remains practical and built with the patient at the center of the solution.

“ProMedica Innovations and ProMedica Health Systems have provided Wellopp significant forward motion into the market with tech support, clinical collaboration, funding and market entry,” said Lauzon. “The support Wellopp has received in Ohio has been pivotal to its survival and growth. Healthcare IT is a very competitive and crowded market because there is need for innovation. Having this sort of support in your corner is almost mandatory.”