Clearstep Announces Partnership with Tufts Medicine to Enhance Healthcare for Millions of Patients across the New England Region

Clearstep partners with Tufts Medicine to introduce an AI-powered, virtual-first program to overcome healthcare access, cost and quality challenges.

CHICAGO, Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearstep, a leading innovator in digital triage and care navigation technology, is excited to announce a notable partnership with Tufts Medicine, a prominent hospital system in Massachusetts, to improve patient access by introducing a virtual care solution to help ensure patients get the right care at the right place and time.

This collaboration unites Clearstep's advanced AI-powered solutions with Tufts Medicine's commitment to providing exceptional healthcare services and reshaping the primary care experience through a virtual-first, at-home, and in-person hybrid care model.

Adeel Malik, CEO of Clearstep, stated, "Tufts Medicine is leading the charge in creating new ways for patients to experience healthcare. Our goal is to meet patients where they are with a virtual-first approach and provide a seamless experience for patients across the New England region."

Key Features of the Partnership:

• Virtual-first care model: Patients will use Clearstep's conversational AI-powered triage and navigation technology at the outset of their care journey, which will route them to the most clinically appropriate, convenient, in-network care within Tufts Medicine's extensive network.
• Hybrid care delivery: Clearstep's triage and care navigation technology will power a variety of digital patient access points. Patients qualifying for virtual care can seamlessly transition to an on-demand visit with a Tufts Medicine provider.
• Enhanced in-person experience: Clearstep ensures a smooth transition from the virtual experience to booking appointments across the Tufts Medicine network for in-person care needs. Clinical information collected from the Clearstep AI experience will be made available to downstream care providers, helping ensure that providers are equipped with the most important insights and can focus on delivering the best care possible.
• Enterprise-wide engagement: Clearstep's virtual triage technology, initially piloted in late 2020, will be deployed enterprise-wide over the next 12 months, providing a frictionless patient experience.
• Enhanced user experience: Clearstep's technology integrates into Tufts Medicine's existing systems, providing a best-in-class user experience.
• Cost efficiency: By streamlining patient care, this solution can reduce unnecessary costs in value-based care plans, enhance margins in fee-for-service arrangements, and allow providers to focus their time on patients best suited for their expertise.

Benefits for Patients:

• Controlled first mile: This approach aims to improve the primary care experience by guiding patients on accessing the best, most appropriate care, focusing on convenient and easy access to virtual care, and seamlessly transitioning to in-person care as needed.
• Timely access to care: The solution facilitates patient access to necessary care by streamlining care navigation and seamlessly integrating virtual care solutions. This initiative aims to provide patients with convenient and prompt access to the healthcare services they require.

The first version of Clearstep's AI-powered technology will launch in Q1 2024, with continuous enhancements planned over the next several quarters.

Malik concluded, "We're honored to be part of this mission with Tufts Medicine. Our technology is not just a navigational tool but has evolved into a capacity optimization solution for ambulatory and outpatient care. This collaboration is a major step in our mission to enhance care access."

"We want to provide our current and future patients with the option of beginning their care journeys virtually and seamlessly, moving to coordinated in-person care when necessary," said Emily Young, President of the Tufts Medicine Integrated Network. "We are excited to offer these benefits to our patients, bringing together technology, care models, and payment mechanisms to better meet the needs of the diverse communities we serve."

This partnership sets a precedent for health systems across the country, demonstrating a model for better managing capacity, generating increased margins, and opening up more access for patients.

About Clearstep 
Clearstep is a leading digital health company helping healthcare organizations and patients create an individual roadmap to the right care at the right time and place. Clearstep's Smart Care Routing™ AI assistants for self-triage and healthcare navigation harness rigorously validated and curated AI models that empower patients to navigate their healthcare needs securely. Clearstep's impact extends across call centers, websites, mobile apps, patient portals, and 2-way SMS platforms. Through these mediums, it seamlessly automates symptom assessments, streamlines triage processes, addresses routine patient inquiries, facilitates remote patient monitoring, and optimizes administrative and clinical workflows. Learn more at clearstep.health or find Clearstep on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Clearstep