Enhancing Veteran Care Through Innovative Service Request Features

How creating a Get Well Service Request screensaver increased service request completion at one Southeastern VA Medical Center by 160%.

Jaime Brito, Client Success Manager

In the fast-evolving landscape of healthcare, innovation plays a crucial role in enhancing patient experiences. At a Southeastern VA Medical Center, the integration of Get Well’s “Service Request” feature into a new screensaver solution has done just that—empowered Veterans to take charge of their care in an efficient and streamlined manner.

Elevating Patient Experience

For years, the Get Well Inpatient platform offered a variety of features, yet the “Service Request” tile often went unnoticed amidst the myriad of choices. Recognizing this challenge, the Get Well team implemented a screensaver feature, making it easier for Veteran patients to access the Service Request tile with just a few clicks. This simple yet effective change significantly improved patient awareness and encouraged Veterans to enhance their hospital stay by submitting requests directly from their beds, without having to wait for staff assistance.

Figure 1: The Service Request screensaver created by the Get Well team.

A Transformative Solution

The adoption of this screensaver technology marked a pivotal transformation for the medical center. Not only did it streamline communication, eliminating the need for extra phone calls and reducing the nursing staff’s workload, but it also introduced an automated system that increased accountability. Each request generates a documented trail, decreasing the likelihood of human error and ensuring timely responses to Veterans’ needs.

Eight departments have embraced this innovative solution, including Veteran Experience, Whole Health, Spiritual Counseling, Social Work, Nutrition Services, Room Cleanliness, Pharmacy and Tobacco Cessation. By emailing service requests to dedicated teams, the center has optimized response times and enhanced service recovery efforts. Some departments have even begun reporting monthly request metrics to their committees, further improving transparency and accountability.

Figure 2: The Service Request tiles available through the Get Well Inpatient experience.

Recognizing the Impact

The impact has been profound. Veterans are pleasantly surprised when staff proactively address requests, arriving prepared with solutions. Staff feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with one nurse expressing relief at no longer having to act as a go-between in message relay. An Assistant Chief noted, “This improvement brought us closer to Veterans, allowing us to respond efficiently and effectively. No more he said, she said. Now, we know.

Demonstrated Success

The success of this initiative is evident in the numbers. In just a few months, the VAMC saw a 160% increase in service requests, marking a significant improvement and underscoring the medical center’s commitment to service recovery and addressing Veterans’ concerns in a seamless manager.

A Vision for the Future

The integration of the screensaver feature at this Southeastern VA Medical Center highlights the power of innovation in healthcare. By empowering Veterans to take control of their own care, the facility has set a new standard for service delivery. Given the success of the Service Recovery tile screensaver, clinical teams have since integrated a number of other screensavers to drive engagement across the organization, furthering the opportunity for Veteran patients to be involved in their healthcare journey. Moving forward, we remain dedicated to building an even more responsive and effective environment for our Veterans, ensuring that their needs are met with precision and care.

Join us in continuing this positive trend, as we strive to provide exceptional and inclusive healthcare experiences for every Veteran we serve. Learn more about how Get Well enables Veteran Health initiatives through digital patient engagement at our website: https://www.getwellnetwork.com/veteran-patient-education-software/.