Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York recently applied this approach to address patients’ needs at The Brooklyn Health Home, which provides community-based care management services to seriously ill patients. The system wanted to proactively reach out to members who were particularly vulnerable during COVID-19 due to chronic health conditions, social determinants of health, and socioeconomic status. For proactive and light-touch engagement, the system used AWS to build a chatbot that enabled outreach to high-risk patients. They chose an SMS-based chatbot because of the simplicity and accessibility of text messaging as a familiar form of communication for patients. The system sent “Wellness Check-in” text messages in English and Spanish to over 5,000 at-risk New Yorkers, offering health and social services support. 87% of respondents identified a food, unemployment, or housing need. The campaign helped to surface critical issues and allowed Maimonides to mobilize supportive services.
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