# Presentation: 780780

## Operational Effectiveness with My HealtheVet

- VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
- Micki H. Wheaton, M.S.N., R.N.
- Denise Ramsey, M.S.N., R.N.

## Reason for Improvement

- Volume of calls related to prescription refills
- Access to care
- Case manager follow up
- Veteran anecdotal reports

## Assumptions

- Improve operational effectiveness, cost effectiveness and enhanced customer satisfaction with utilization of My Health_*e*_Vet (MHV)

## What Will Rx Refill Functionality of My HeatheVet do for Operational Effectiveness?

- Improve veteran satisfaction
- Improve access to care
- Enhance veterans knowledge
- Improve cost effectiveness
- Improve staff efficiencies in pharmacy
- Improve staff efficiencies in case management

## Key Drivers

-  Satisfaction
-  Quality
-  Access
-  Cost

## Actions

**Formed interdisciplinary team: Nursing, Pharmacy, Patient Advocate**
- Promoted time spent now  would yield positive outcomes
- Developed action plans
**Increased awareness of Rx refill functionality**
- Face to face meetings/Inservicing
- Communicate/Advertise
- Develop stand alone tools
- Posters, flyers, bulletin board
**Developed scripting and tracking tools**
- Phone calls, Walk-ins, patient complaints
**Increased accessibility of MHV Rx refill information**
- ‘Take-Away’ brochures/literature
- Referrals to PHE library
- Phone follow up or mail outs

## Action Plans 

**Case Managers:**
- Collect data
- Provide MHV ‘Take-Away’ literature
- Refer to PHE library, phone and/or mail follow up
**Pharmacy:**
- Track enrollment
- Provide MHV ‘Take-Away’ literature
- Refer to PHE library, phone and/or mail follow up
- Add MHV Rx refill information to package inserts or attach
- Trend outcomes
**Patient Advocate:**
- Walk-ins
- Phone
- Referral
- Provide MHV ‘Take-Away’ literature

## Action Plans

**MHV POC:**
- Round on team weekly
- Review data
- Track outcomes
- Track enrollment post consult/intervention
- Track volume of phone calls r/t refills
- Follow up
- Train, communicate and support veteran with registration process
- Support veteran with training and offerings of basic computer skills courses
- Employ a variety of marketing strategies
- Presentations: VFW, VAVS, etc.

## Findings/Outcomes

- Patients utilizing My Health_*e*_Vet (MHV) for prescription refills were tracked from September 2005 through December 2006. During this time frame 5,847 patients utilized MHV for their prescription refills.

## Findings/Outcomes

- Case managers completed MHV tracking tools:

## Findings/Outcomes, cont.

- Pharmacy trended data on the number of patients per week
-       that were utilizing MHV for prescription refills.

## Findings/Outcomes, cont.

- Facility registrations to MHV increased incrementally by 51% during this time period, moving VISN 11 from a national placement of 11th, to 7th in number of new registrants, to My Health_*e*_Vet.

## Findings/Outcomes, cont.

**VISN 11 moves to the top 5 in the nation for number of prescriptions refilled through My Health**_***e***_**Vet.**

## Summary

**Improved operational effectiveness**
- Phone calls r/t Rx refills decreased
- Enhanced communication
- Access to care
**Cost effective:**
- Stock-piling and/or wastage decreased
- Processing only those medication refills needing refilled
- Co-pay for only those medications needing refilled
**Enhanced customer satisfaction AEB:**
- Testimonials from veterans
- Felt more in control and pleased with ability to self-manage.
- Stock-piling decreased and/or eliminated.
- Co-pay for only those meds that they actually use and/or need.
- Report more knowledgeable about their medications

## Operational Effectiveness with My HealtheVet

- Questions?