Summary

Durham Nephrology Associates (DNA) doctors, advanced practice providers, nurses and staff have been devoted to the welfare of patients for more than 30 years and specializes in caring for people with kidney diseases and high blood pressure. DNA’s goals include stopping or slowing the progression of kidney disease to prevent further damage. Since some patients’ diseases can worsen even with optimal medical care, the providers and staff at DNA also work to help people physically and mentally prepare for the possibility of future dialysis treatments, transplantation and beyond. 

Patients can be cared for at both DNA offices located in Durham and Oxford, NC.  The providers also staff a Kidney Clinic at Lincoln Community Health Center and treat people with a variety of dialysis needs at seven dialysis centers located throughout Durham and Granville counties. The Durham Nephrology Associates group also cares for hospitalized patients at both Durham Regional Hospital and Granville Medical Center. Continuous high-quality health care is Durham Nephrology Associates’ goal.

Challenge

Katherine Beavers MS, FACMPE, Administrator at Durham Nephrology Associates shared,

“We already had administered Remote Patient Monitoring and Chronic Care Management in our practice with two other companies, but we wanted to streamline the services for our patients with one integrated platform that offered everything the practice and our patients needed.” 

She shared that with vendors they had worked with in the past, they struggled to get their operational and billing questions easily answered with the same level of support and clarity that the team at HealthSnap has offered.

Program Highlights

Katherine shared, “We are so pleased that we chose Healthsnap as our RPM and CCM partner. We did quite a bit of research before making our final decision and it was very clear after talking to other companies that no one else had the infrastructure and resources that Healthsnap provides.” 

She explained that the team at Durham Nephrology Associates not only liked the user-friendly look and feel of the HealthSnap portal itself, but they also appreciated the amount of information that could be gathered:

“The HealthSnap portal is easy to use and access for our staff. We can easily track how patients are doing.” 

She also shared that the staff was pleasantly surprised to receive great customer service and support from the moment the partnership went live. DNA’s patients love being on the programs, and their feedback has been extremely positive.

Sheri Dyke, Practice Manager at Durham Nephrology Associates was also pleased with the program and its implementation —

“The project planning and kick-off call was excellent. Healthsnap did an exceptional job developing the proper workflows and managing the calls. Their knowledge as it relates to reimbursement is excellent and they consistently follow through with any concerns. More importantly, we are seeing improved clinical outcomes for our Blood Pressure patients on the program, as we now have a better picture of their daily readings.”

Results

In terms of patient outcomes – Katherine shared, “Our patients are healthier on HealthSnap’s programs because we are able to track their measurements and care in real-time, taking action and intervening sooner if necessary.” The team at DNA  has also expressed that the feedback received from the nursing staff at Healthsnap has been extremely reliable: “Our monthly calls help to keep us all on track. The folks at Healthsnap arrive on the call with a clear agenda and we are able to work through any changes or concerns efficiently as we move forward.” She also shared that when there have been concerns, the HealthSnap team has worked hard to resolve issues and provide timely feedback and follow-up.

Sheri shared that providers at Durham Nephrology Associates have mentioned observing improvements in outcomes, especially with the remote blood pressure program —

“It is common for a patient’s blood pressure to go up when they see a doctor, which is why if it’s high they will measure it again a few minutes later, and it’s often back down. By having the daily BP monitoring data, we can see a better picture of the patient’s health and adjust medications accordingly.” 

Sheri shared that as far as CCM services go, they have noticed it makes a definite difference in providing quality care. She explained, “CCM helps nurses to provide individual attention to the patient’s overall health and wellness, which in turn provides better outcomes, as patients tend to better adhere to their care plan.”

Finally, in terms of ROI, Katherine explained that the cost of the service is well worth the realized revenue back to the practice, and ultimately it’s a win-win for everyone involved. She shared, “We look forward to a long-lasting partnership with Healthsnap.”

Clinical Outcomes