Latest news with #patientcommunication
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Maxwell TEC Unveils Enhanced nanaCONNECT Patient Communication Platform and New Module, REACH
SHOREVIEW, Minn., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxwell TEC today unveiled strategic enhancements to its modular patient communication platform, newly rebranded to nanaCONNECT. Redesigned for a more seamless and scalable experience, nanaCONNECT strengthens how care-at-home providers communicate with patients and families across the care continuum. The platform's latest update introduces streamlined, rebranded modules, making it easier for providers to adopt and navigate—and expands its functionality with the launch of a new module: REACH, designed to support patients after discharge. "nanaCONNECT enables providers to stay meaningfully connected with patients and families, even as demands grow across home health, hospice, and care at home," said Scott Beard, Chief Strategy Officer at Maxwell TEC. "With our refreshed platform and expanded capabilities, communication is simpler, smarter, and more aligned with the entire patient care lifecycle." nanaCONNECT utilizes customizable, text-based communication to deliver timely, relevant messages that keep patients informed, engaged, and supported—from the first visit to final check-in. The platform contains four modules that offer meaningful touchpoints throughout the patient care journey: NOTIFY (formerly NOTIFYnana): Welcomes patients to service and keeps patients informed with real-time caregiver arrival alerts, appointment confirmations, and the ability to provide feedback through visit surveys. ENGAGE (formerly nanaCONNECT): Delivers daily check-ins and simple satisfaction surveys to stay engaged with patients' well-being in real time. REACH: Strengthens post-discharge instructions and workflows with relevant, personalized support and resources that guide recovery and promote successful care outcomes. BEREAVE (formerly nanaBEREAVEMENT): Modernizes paper-based hospice bereavement processes and offers families personalized, compassionate grief support powered by AI-driven risk insights. nanaCONNECT's newest module, REACH, addresses a critical gap in the continuity of care: post-discharge guidance. Through automated, customizable text messages, REACH helps agencies maintain regular touchpoints that support recovery, deliver helpful resources, and keep patients on track without adding to staff workload. "REACH helps providers stay in touch with their discharged patients after the in-person care ends," said Andrew O'Connell, Director of Product at Maxwell TEC. "We developed our latest nanaCONNECT module to give care teams a simple, scalable way to guide recovery without increasing manual workload, keeping care agencies top of mind, improving follow-through, and fostering better outcomes." Across all modules, the nanaCONNECT platform offers comprehensive features, including: Daily, customizable SMS messages tailored to patient needs and care milestones Real-time dashboard insights to monitor engagement and identify patients who need immediate attention Scalable communication workflows that reduce manual effort, improve care consistency, and boost patient outcomes Easy implementation with familiar, user-friendly text-based messages and no app downloads required The launch of the reimagined nanaCONNECT platform builds on Maxwell TEC's recent rebrand and renewed mission to empower care-at-home providers through technology and strategic solutions. To learn more about Maxwell TEC's expanding suite of tech-enabled products or schedule a demo, visit or contact sales@ About Maxwell TEC Maxwell TEC enables care at home through technology and strategic solutions, blending decades of clinical expertise with innovative approaches designed to empower people and processes. With a suite of tech-enabled products, data-driven solutions, and consulting services, Maxwell TEC equips care providers with the tools and strategies necessary for success in the digital era. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Maxwell TEC Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
News.com.au
20-06-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
What your doctors are writing about you behind your back
Have you ever wondered what your doctor is really thinking about you when you're sitting in their office? The truth is, the world of medicine has long been home to its own secret language – shorthand acronyms and slang that doctors use to communicate about patients to other healthcare staff, often behind their backs. However, this is somewhat of a dying art, as today's medical slang now largely exists in whispered conversations or informal notes. These colloquialisms rarely make their way into a patient's official records, because they're often considered unethical and potentially offensive. Also, using them could result in legal trouble for doctors or hospitals if patients discovered them and decided to pursue legal action. Adam Fox, a collector of medical slang, once shared an example from one of his annual reports to the BBC. A practitioner had written 'TTFO', meaning 'told to f**k off', on a patient's chart. When asked about the entry in court, the practitioner had to pretend the initials stood for 'to take fluids orally'. Another reason for the decline in this sort of slang is that they may be confused with genuine medical terms, potentially leading to misunderstandings. Leading GP, Dr. Zac, tells that he remembers an incident where this happened. 'A patient ended up suing – and winning – after she overheard a clinician referring to 'the cow in the room',' he says. 'She assumed she was being insulted. But the reality was that the clinician had been venting about a COW: a 'Computer on Wheels' that was malfunctioning again (as they often do). 'The context was lost, and what followed was a legal headache no one needed, but it served as a wake-up call. Ever since then, there's been a push to remove any language that could be easily misconstrued, especially when emotions are already heightened in a hospital setting.' According to ex-TedxSydney founder, Remo Giuffre, who explored this phenomenon in his book series Remorandum, some of the codes include: ART: Ain't Right There (patient has an unusual demeanour or behaviour) BWCO: Baby Won't Come Out (needs Caesarian) CFL: Chronic Frustrated Lawyer (frustrated patient who threatens legal action frequently) CSTO/DSTO: Cat/Dog Smarter Than Owner (used by vets) CTD: Circling the Drain (a critically ill patient who is deteriorating) DBI: Dirt Bag Index (this multiplies the number of tattoos by the number of missing teeth to give an estimate of the number of days since the patient last bathed) DUB: Damn Ugly Baby EGO: Excessive Gas Output (patients with frequent flatulence complaints) FF: Frequent Flyer (patient who frequently visits the ER for non-emergency issues) FLK w/ GLM: Funny-Looking Kid with a Good Looking Mum FUBAR: F**ked Up Beyond All Recognition (extremely complex or difficult situation) FURB: Funny, Unusual, Rectal Blockage (people who use unusual objects in their anus) GOK: God Only Knows (patient with symptoms that are baffling or defy a clear diagnosis) GOMER: Get Out of My Emergency Room GPO: Good for Parts Only (patients whose injuries may mean they are unlikely to survive) GRAFOB: Grim Reaper At Foot Of Bed LOBNH: Lights On But Nobody Home (patients who are alert but mentally absent) LOFA: Lack of F**king Ability (patients who struggle with simple tasks or who seem helpless) LOLINAD: Little Old Lady In No Apparent Distress NQR: Not Quite Right (patient who doesn't have a clear diagnosis but isn't healthy either) PITA: Pain In The A** TEETH: Tried Everything Else, Try Homeopathy (chronic cases that resist standard treatment) TMB: Too Many Birthdays (elderly patients, often with multiple chronic issues due to age) TOBP: Tired of Being Pregnant (especially patient demanding Caesarian) TSTL: Too Stupid To Live (patients engaging in extremely risky or unhealthy behaviour) UBI: Unexplained Beer Injury (injuries of unknown origin associated with alcohol consumption) VIP Syndrome: A high-status patient who expects special treatment that disrupts standard care WADA: Weak And Dizzy All-over (patients with vague, non-specific symptoms) Dr Zac says that while most of these terms are on the way out, some acronyms still hold a strong clinical place and are routinely used in day-to-day care. These are the ones that serve a real purpose in communication and patient safety, not 'cheap laughs', he says. Here are a few that remain in standard use: FAST – Face, Arms, Speech, Time (stroke recognition tool) ABCDE – Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (standard trauma and emergency assessment structure) SOAP – Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan (common structure for medical notes) PEARL – Pupils Equal And Reactive to Light (used in neurological exams) AVPU – Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive (used to measure level of consciousness) 'So while the cheeky acronyms of old might still make the rounds on Reddit or late-night handover jokes, in practice, they've mostly been replaced with clearer, standardised terminology,' Dr Zac says. 'And maybe that's a good thing.'
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Health Secretary to unveil 'death of the doctor's letter' in digital first switch to help slash NHS postage bills
Ministers will today announce the death of the doctor's letter in a bid to slash NHS postage bills. Health Secretary Wes Streeting will unveil plans to switch to a 'digital first' system, with almost all patient communications made via the NHS app. The move, agreed as part of next week's spending review, will mean most patients will no longer receive letters about appointments, check-ups and screening dates. People unable to use the app will be able to continue receiving a postal service, but only as a 'last resort'. The Department of Health said the move would lead to the NHS sending out 50 million fewer letters a year, saving £200 million on stamps and envelopes. However, critics warned it could disadvantage millions of older people who struggle with the latest technology. Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group, said the move would accelerate the trend towards digital communications that risks turning some older people into 'second class citizens' and could result in vulnerable patients missing appointments. Last night Mr Streeting insisted that 'modernising' communications would 'put power in the hands of patients'. 'People are living increasingly busy lives,' he said, 'and want to access information about their health at the touch of a button, rather than wait weeks for letters that often arrive too late. 'The NHS still spends hundreds of millions of pounds on stamps, printing, and envelopes. By modernising the health service, we can free up huge amounts of funding to reinvest in the frontline.' Health sources said Royal Mail had become so unreliable in parts of the country that some letters didn't arrive until after appointment dates or else people didn't open their post in time. Mr Reed told the Mail: 'Many older people do not have smartphones and many of those that do only use them for making calls. There are still a lot of people who do not know how to use apps or who physically cannot navigate them on a tiny screen. 'If you try to force them to use an app then people will miss messages and vital appointments.' Caroline Abrahams, director of Age Concern, said technology brought 'many potential benefits', but added: 'This is a big risk because millions [of older people] do not use computers at all, or only do so for limited purposes. 'If the NHS app is to become the default, then this major change must be accompanied by many more opportunities to help people of all ages to go online if they wish to do so.'
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Sudbury company using AI to help doctors' offices
Sudbury company using AI to help doctors' offices Shrey Anand explains how the Sudbury-based AI system WaiveTheWait helps doctors' offices with documents, patient communication and tasks.
