Every day we launch all types of vehicles across 20+ states for many different patients going to various places. One of the most common misconceptions we receive at Roundtrip is that we allow patients to book rides for themselves. In 2017, we made the strategic decision to focus where we could create the most impact: that was with our product designed for care coordinators, rather than our patient app. Just as we are seeing a trend of the rise in demand for patient navigators, and conversations around all the many factors that play into healthcare experiences, we believe that transportation impacts the entire healthcare event and is most effective when covered by care coordination. When booking medical transportation, we believe that the best way that Roundtrip can deliver an ideal patient experience is by working with health providers and plans to coordinate patient rides.
By working with providers and plans, we can deliver the best level of service for our patients by using the resources that are in place for administering patient care. Here are three of the biggest reasons why Roundtrip works at the provider and plan level:
1. Health providers and plans save more money booking transportation than what they lose on missed appointments.
Having a robust payer mix is the key to helping more patients who have trouble affording transportation. We cover Medicare and Medicaid rides and have the option for facility pay. When health providers and plans partner with Roundtrip, booking transportation can also alleviate the financial burden of transportation on the patient, improving health outcomes for the most vulnerable and underserved populations who may not be able to afford it. And for patients who are managing chronic health conditions, transportation covered by care coordination alleviates the logistical burden of transportation when a patient may not be able to transport themselves to appointments. Either way, when health providers and plans pay for the ride, patients make it to more appointments, and everyone wins.
2. The ride-booking process is simplified and more transparent through
EHR (electronic health record) integrations.
Our product is designed for care coordinators, social workers, and other ride requestors who are often coordinating the transportation on behalf of patients. Roundtrip has integrations with Epic, Cerner, naviHealth, Teletracking, ZOLL, and other software that is essential to the workflow inside health providers. These integrations allow providers and plans to stay focused on caring for the patient and for the patient to stay focused on their health.
3. When employee satisfaction is high, the patient experience is better.
Because our product is designed for care coordinators, Roundtrip has a unique influence on the patient experience. Placing Roundtrip in the hands of those who are often tied up with administrative tasks, such as booking transportation for patients, is a significant benefit that allows care coordinators to operate at the top of their licenses and focus on what matters most: caring for patients. When care coordinators can focus on patient care, employee satisfaction improves. When employee satisfaction improves, patients feel better about their care experience. Roundtrip learned this firsthand after launching at Johns Hopkins. These improvements cause hospitals to see higher ratings and profits, which means that they are more incentivized to schedule and pay for your ride.