A Medical Device Daily

NorthPoint Domain (Boston) has reported a collaboration with the Cardiovascular Center of Boston Medical Center (BMC; Boston) to apply advanced Internet patient engagement instruments to BMC's cardiac robotic surgery program.

Also known as medical informatics instruments (MIIs), these tools are used by clinicians as informational and interactive tools that involve patients and their families in the care process. Built upon a web platform, informatics instruments represent a new way for clinicians to deliver medical care, making it feasible to educate and instruct patients and their families, set expectations, share decision-making, and support self-care in ways heretofore not possible, NorthPoint said.

The partnership is an extension of the relationship between NorthPoint and the BMC Cardiovascular Center. The organizations have collaborated since 2002 to use web-based MIIs to advance patient-centered care.

NorthPoint will work with the Cardiovascular Center to tailor its MII platforms, complementing the advanced robotic surgery technology being used at BMC.

"NorthPoint Domain will greatly enhance our ability to inform and engage our patients and make them true partners in their own care," said Robert Poston, MD, chief of cardiac surgery at BMC and associate professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Boston University School of Medicine.

Rony Sellam, president/COO of NorthPoint, said, "While BMC is among a handful of medical centers in the country offering minimally invasive robotic CABG, it will be the only center in the world combining this with our Internet instruments for informatics-powered care delivery."

A scientific evidence base, including a review of 24 randomized controlled trials, indicates that in chronic condition management patient engagement instruments achieve significant improvements not only in patient knowledge, care support, and behavioral outcomes, but also in clinical outcomes. The partners say they expect to see similar benefits in the acute cardiac surgery care setting and are exploring future clinical studies to assemble an evidence base.