Enhancing Patient Education and Data Capture in Healthcare

Introduction

At New York Cancer and Blood Specialists (NYCBS), the exam room experience has evolved significantly. Previously, it relied heavily on verbal explanations and written materials that were often dense and challenging for patients to comprehend in real time.

The Challenge

Despite providers' efforts to explain conditions and treatment plans clearly, many patients struggled to visualize how diseases impacted their bodies or how specific therapies functioned, particularly when faced with complex or unfamiliar information.

Additionally, the collection of patient data during visits was inconsistent and primarily manual. Intake forms, screenings, and questionnaires were often completed on paper or facilitated by staff, leading to variability in completion rates and data quality. This approach hindered the ability to capture information fully and consistently during each visit, often necessitating follow-up after appointments. Consequently, these challenges created gaps in patient understanding and increased the administrative burden on clinical and operational teams.

Proposal

To tackle these issues, NYCBS partnered with the vendor PatientPoint to enhance the exam room experience by integrating visual patient education with structured digital data collection. Sean Riley, CIO at NYCBS and cofounder of SherpaHealth.ai, stated, "The vendor's in-room wallboards offered an opportunity to present educational content in a way that was more engaging and easier for patients to understand, particularly through anatomy visuals and disease-specific explanations."

In conjunction with this, NYCBS recognized the necessity for a reliable platform that would allow patients to input information directly in the exam room. Riley elaborated, "This included not only basic intake data but also clinically meaningful screenings that support care delivery and quality initiatives. The overarching goal was to improve patient comprehension and engagement while enabling more consistent, accurate data capture—all without increasing workload for providers or staff or disrupting existing clinical workflows."

The strategy focused on making medical information more visual, interactive, and easier to understand, thereby supporting both providers and patients during their visits. Dr. Alfredo Torres, associate chief medical officer at NYCBS, noted, "PatientPoint serves as a shared educational tool in the exam room, offering access to anatomy visuals, pharmaceutical information, and short educational videos that explain diagnoses and procedures in plain language. The goal is to improve patient understanding and engagement while also using in-office time more effectively by allowing patients to review educational content and complete required forms before or during their visit."

Meeting the Challenge

Following implementation, the vendor's wallboards were installed throughout exam rooms to deliver patient education content, including anatomy visualizations and disease education modules designed to support provider-patient conversations. Simultaneously, SherpaHealth.ai's technology was integrated into these wallboards as the platform for structured digital data collection. Patients utilized Sherpa during their visits to complete intake information, mental health screenings, and social determinants of health questionnaires directly in the exam room.

Riley explained, "This approach allows data to be captured at a natural point in the visit, improves completion rates, and reduces reliance on staff-led processes. By combining education and data collection within the exam room, the platform fits seamlessly into existing workflows and enhances the overall visit experience without adding operational complexity."

The combined technologies became integral to the everyday patient experience. Patients used the touchscreen while waiting to review educational content relevant to their care and complete digital paperwork, thus reducing dependence on front-desk processes.

Torres added, "Providers also use PatientPoint during appointments to visually walk patients through anatomy, treatment plans, and procedures—reinforcing verbal explanations with on-screen visuals. The platform fits smoothly into existing workflows, requires minimal staff guidance, and helps streamline visits without adding complexity for clinicians or staff."

Results

Since the implementation, NYCBS has observed significant improvements in both patient understanding and data collection. Visual, in-room education has enabled patients to better grasp their diagnoses and conditions by simplifying abstract or complex concepts, which fosters more productive conversations with providers. Riley reported, "In addition, the use of Sherpa for in-room data collection has led to more consistent and complete capture of intake forms and screenings. Completion rates have improved, manual staff follow-up has decreased, and chart completeness has increased as a result of capturing information directly from patients during the visit."

He further emphasized, "Together, the combination of visual education and structured digital data collection has strengthened patient engagement, supported quality and reporting initiatives, and increased the overall value of the exam room experience for both patients and care teams."

Torres noted, "Patient engagement and preparedness have increased. Patients respond positively to the platform's visual and interactive elements, including anatomical diagrams and clear representations of how treatments affect the body. These tools help patients better understand their condition, medications, and upcoming procedures."

He concluded, "PatientPoint also has supported more efficient visits, particularly those involving extensive education or paperwork. Patients arrive at conversations more informed and engaged, which leads to better questions, clearer discussions, and an overall improved clinical experience.

Source: Success Stories & ROI - HealthcareITNews