3 healthcare companies formed due to patient dissatisfaction

The healthcare industry is extremely focused on patient satisfaction, as it is considered one of the top indicators of the quality of a hospital or system. Although healthcare organizations strive to keep their patient satisfaction scores high, there are some issues that caused patients so much displeasure it led to new healthcare companies being created.

From helping patients navigate smoothly through the continuum of care to giving patients a way to get more involved in their care, the following three companies were born with the idea of not only improving patient satisfaction but also having a positive effect on the industry as a whole.

1. Aidin. Focused on post-acute outcomes, Aidin has created a solution to help health systems and patients with post-acute care transitions. The impetus behind Aidin is the jarring experience Russ Graney, Aiden's co-founder and CEO, had with his uncle's care transition process. It took 17 phone calls, numerous faxes and three extra days in the hospital to find post-acute care for his uncle.

Aidin's tools help hospitals eliminate delays and indecision patients often face when choosing a post-acute care provider. Using Aidin care managers and social workers, hospitals can eliminate administrative work allowing them to re-center on patients. Additionally, Aidin's tools let care managers share with patients which of the available providers can best care for their specific clinical needs and have the strongest quality outcomes. "The key is putting relevant quality information in front of the patient at the moment of choice, helping them make an informed decision," says John Laursen, lead of business development at Aidin.

Aidin is making a positive impact on the healthcare industry as a whole by addressing an industry-wide challenge, and the company has had success on the individual system level as well. For instance, Aidin partnered with Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare and helped the system reduce its readmissions rate by 25 percent.

2.  Axial Exchange. Founded on the idea that healthcare in the U.S. can be improved by connecting all parties in the healthcare ecosystem and getting the right information to the right people at the right time, Axial helps organizations implement programs to improve patient engagement. As a provider of mobile patient engagement applications, Axial provides a solution that health systems can customize to allow patients to sustain contact and care outside of hospitals.

The force behind the company is Joanne Rohde, president and founder of Axial. Ms. Rohde, her husband and her mother all went many years without proper diagnosis for chronic and acute illnesses, even though they each went to dozens of physicians with their conditions.

On Axial's website, Ms. Rohde writes, "I am convinced that if all the doctors had had the same information, they could have diagnosed us more quickly. Furthermore, if we had been more informed ourselves, we would have researched better, found more support groups and gotten well faster."

3. Planetree. Founded in 1978, Planetree collaborates with providers across the continuum of care — from physician practices to nursing homes — to transform culture and deliver care that prioritizes the needs of patients.

With improving the patient experience in mind, Angelica Thieriot founded Planetree after she suffered a series of traumatic personal healthcare experiences. The goal Planetree was founded on was providing patients with the information they need to be informed partners in their care.

Susan Frampton, PhD, president of Planetree, recently discussed her philosophy on patient-centeredness with Becker's Hospital Review. When asked why patient-centeredness matters, Ms. Frampton said, "I think it has become very clear over the last decade as new research has emerged that being kind to patients, open with information, involving them more in decision-making and being respectful of their input is simply better medicine. We can improve clinical outcomes when patients are a part of their own care experience and when we do things with them instead of doing things to them."

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