US-based provider of team-based care co-ordination technology and services ACT.md has entered a partnership with the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVM), as part of the state’s only academic medical centre.
Under the deal, researchers at the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families (the Center) will use ACT.md’s care co-ordination record to test and scale a new approach to population health called the Vermont Family Based Approach (VFBA).
The care co-ordination record connects all care team members and drives organised action through one cloud-based interoperable platform.
VFBA is a new healthcare delivery model that supplements medical care for children with behavioural health and wellness for families.
The team at the Center intends to provide evidence-based programmes for health promotion, prevention and intervention from a family perspective in order to prove this approach improves health outcomes for families, while reducing ER visits, unplanned clinic visits and after-hours support.
Elements of the VFBA are currently being used in child psychiatry and primary care settings, as well as elementary schools nationally and internationally.
VFBA creator James Hudziak said: "We believe that health runs in families and that emotional and behavioural health is central to all other aspects of health.
"It makes sense to focus healthcare efforts on the family and to integrate behavioural health into these efforts.
"As the UVM team works together across clinical and research settings to demonstrate the effectiveness of the VFBA, ACT.md is fundamental to our team’s ability to work together more efficiently and effectively and embrace the family as part of the care team."
UVM noted the Vermont families enrolled in the academic medical study will experience a comprehensive family wellness programme, including medical and behavioural healthcare, nutrition education, exercise lessons, mindfulness and musical training, as well as parenting education.
ACT.md’s HIPAA compliant platform is designed for team-based care models such as the VFBA, driving high-performance teamwork via web and mobile-enabled care plans, action items and secure discussions.
