Keeping our patients in the loop

We are proud of everyone who is social distancing right now, but we don’t want anyone to have to go through a sickness alone. To ensure we can still be there for our patients, many of our clinics are transitioning to UK TeleCare for regularly scheduled appointments.

Now, as COVID-19 tests become more readily available (some through our own UK HealthCare lab!), we wanted to find a way to stay in contact with the people we test in case they experience new symptoms or their existing symptoms worsen.

So on Monday, April 6, we initiated a new way of caring for patients during the COVID-19 outbreak: the GetWell Loop™. This is a service for patients who have been tested for COVID-19. It allows us to check in with those patients twice daily and share important information about COVID-19.

“Adhering to Governor Beshear’s ‘Healthy at Home,’ UK HealthCare is monitoring your symptoms from home, where you feel safest,” says Kristen Brown, director of ambulatory clinical operations for UK HealthCare.

The GetWell Loop™ provides tips for monitoring symptoms at home, and asks patients a series of questions regarding their symptoms, which may include fever, shortness of breath or cough. A nursing staff team will monitor patients’ responses. If any patient response triggers an alert or action (if they are experiencing difficulty breathing or a worsening fever, for example) this team will contact the patient directly to determine the best next step for care.

We believe this will be an invaluable way to stay connected with patients during this uncertain time. For more information, visit https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/COVID-19/getwell-loop.