PAD

November 29 2023

Dr. Anahita Dua reminds us why preventing amputations is a collective duty of care

carepics Education Amputation Prevention, PAD, Wound Care

In a guest essay published by The New York Times, Dr. Anahita Dua relays the heartbreaking story of a patient who presented at the emergency room of Massachusetts General Hospital complaining of pain in her foot. The patient had an infected wound so severe that amputating her leg was the only option. She died 14 months later.

“The entire episode could probably have been prevented,” Dr. Dua writes. “My patient did not have to die the way she did.”

This story is unfortunately playing out every day in provider settings throughout the country. Evidence shows that less than half (49%) of people with a lower extremity amputation had a vascular evaluation prior to the procedure. Similarly, 53% of amputation claims are for people whose medical history did not include a vascular referral.

As Dr. Dua points out, we can do better. We need to do better.

This story and others like it are the very reason the CarePICS app was developed. CarePICS serves as the connective tissue that effectively bridges these critical gaps in care and helps facilitate greater access to proper treatment for patients at risk of amputation as well as wound care patients in general.

You may read Dr. Dua’s essay here.

You may register for a free trial of the CarePICS app here.

Anahita Dua is a vascular surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. She is co-director of the Peripheral Artery Disease Center and Limb Evaluation and Preservation Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

September 13 2021

Join CarePICS in Recognizing PAD Awareness Month

carepics Blog PAD, PAD Awareness Month, Peripheral Artery Disease, telehealth, Wound Care

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects nearly 20 million Americans. An estimated 200,000 receiving PAD-related amputations every year, according to the Cardiovascular Coalition (CVC). CarePICS is a partner in the fight against PAD. We’re here to provide critical patient data, technology support and streamlined communication in a secure platform. With our virtual hub, providers can improve patient outcomes — and reduce unnecessary amputations.

CarePICS Enhances Providers’ Abilities to Treat PAD

CarePICS is the first virtual care platform for managing PAD, critical limb ischemia (CLI) and wound care patients. Providers can use the vascular and wound care solution with their patients in the office or wherever the patient is via telehealth. This helps create a comprehensive healthcare strategy that helps prevent amputations by improving communication.

Primary care physicians (PCPs) can stay connected with patients via telehealth and with compliant text and images to help follow patient progress.
Podiatrists can collaborate with PCPs and other providers to help consolidate complex patient care coordination.
Vascular specialists can triage high-risk PAD and CLI patients, pre-referral or pre-procedure, track post-procedure wound-healing progress, and maintain ongoing relationships with both patients and the physician network.
Patients benefit because they can directly contact their provider. If their condition is acute, the vascular specialist can understand the patient problem before they see the patient so they can prioritize needed care.

Our mission is to be the connective tissue between providers caring for vascular patients and patients with wounds. CarePICS’ telehealth capabilities facilitate timely, comprehensive care for patients. They don’t have to make long, costly commutes or risk exposure to potential pathogens. And providers gain a powerful clinical coordination network that streamlines communication and automates next steps ― all within a HIPAA-compliant platform.

Providers find the CarePICS technology easy to adapt to and appreciate our secure, streamlined communication. With our mobile and web app, you get the patient data you need to more collaborate and more efficiently run your practice.

For More Information

Join CarePICS and the CardioVascular Coalition in recognizing PAD Awareness Month. Visit the CarePICS website for more information about the virtual hub. We’re here to partner with providers with a solution to better manage patients and improve clinical outcomes.

About CarePICS

CarePICS^® is a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform designed to manage vascular disease and wound care patients. CarePICS enables virtual consults, telehealth visits, clinical image reporting, and automated medical supply ordering.

August 5 2021

CarePICS Will Be at AMP 2021!

carepics Blog AMP 2021, Amputation Prevention Symposium, CLI, Dr. Chris Bromley, Dr. Jihad Mustapha, PAD

At CarePICS, we’re proud to be part of the CLI movement. A movement that saves limbs and lives. The Amputation Prevention Symposium (AMP) 2021 offers experts in the field the opportunity to gain knowledge about the latest advancements and trends in revascularization.

AMP 2021 is August 11–14 in Orlando, Fla, at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. We invite attendees to visit our CarePICS team at Booth 212 or virtually to learn more about how our virtual hub can help clinicians treat vascular and wound care patients.

AMP 2021 Leads the CLI Movement

AMP draws over 800 specialty fields, including interventional cardiologists, vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, wound care specialists and podiatrists. This comprehensive forum connects physicians with colleagues and the foremost thought leaders in CLI.

Founded in 2011, Dr. Jihad Mustapha and a team of multidisciplinary course directors will lead AMP 2021. Their goal – providing attendees with the insight and ability to apply multidisciplinary best practices to patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and CLI who are at risk for major amputations.

The mission to stop the growing public health crisis is becoming even more important every year. The in-person and virtual event continues the effort to help PAD and CLI patients, according to Dr. Mustapha.

CarePICS Believes in AMP

CarePICS helps keep you connected with patients to provide the best possible PAD, CLI and wound care outcomes. The virtual hub is the first technology-enabled care management tool specifically designed for the treatment of PAD patients.

We strongly support AMP as important leaders in the fight against CLI. We’ve joined in the fight to help with early intervention and ensure coordinated follow-up care that can prevent amputations.

“We’re proud to be a part of this four-day event that will help revolutionize the way care teams approach CLI and other conditions that can result in amputations,” says Dr. Chris Bromley, President of CarePICS. “We look forward to demonstrating our virtual care platform that helps supports patients and providers alike.”

For More Information

We are all in this together. Join us at AMP 2021 to network, learn and grow as care providers for CLI patients. #BetterTogether

Visit the CarePICS website to learn more about our efforts toward creating new, smart ways to manage PAD and CLI patients.

About CarePICS

June 30 2021

Overcoming Care Fatigue with CarePICS

carepics Blog Care Fatigue, CarePICS, CLI, Journal of American Medical Informatics, PAD, telehealth, Virtual Care, Wound Care

Ongoing medical appointments can wear down wound care, peripheral artery disease (PAD), and critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients over time. The result? Care fatigue.

Tests, measurements, stressful travel, paperwork, and the wait to be poked and prodded can be physically and mentally exhausting. Many patients may start skipping follow-up appointments because it simply feels easier.

CarePICS is the key to helping your patients overcome care fatigue. The virtual care platform provides a personalized care experience that lessens appointment anxiety for current wound care patients and helps reach new patients through a virtual clinician network.

Help Nurture Strong Patient Relationships

Ninety percent of patients would choose talking to their doctor via video chat over in-person visits, according to a study by the Journal of American Medical Informatics Association. Virtual and telehealth care were already preferable before the COVID-19 pandemic — now they’ve become a valuable component for patient retention.

CarePICS is a HIPAA-compliant clinical coordination tool that revolutionizes convenience and helps improve patient outcomes. Patients no longer feel worn down by the stresses of transportation and clinical settings. The option of in-home appointments saves money, avoids conflicts with everyday life and eliminates concerns about exposing an at-risk population to potential hazards.

CarePICS also simplifies a clinician’s ability to maintain ongoing relationships with patients. The healthcare technology platform:

Provides secure, direct communication with patients
Tracks wound-healing progress for quick feedback on wounds, pain and other issues
Enables direct ordering of wound care products to get patients their supplies sooner

How to Attract New Patients

Coordinating complex patient care between primary care physicians (PCP), specialists and care teams is made easier with the CarePICS mobile and web app. Podiatrists, vascular surgeons and skilled nurses can utilize text, image and video sharing for better outcomes. This enhanced, effective communication strengthens clinical partnerships and increases the likelihood of referrals.

Providing access to patients who are local, an hour away and even across the country is another benefit of the platform. CarePICS removes barriers and opens channels between patient and PCP and PCP and specialist. With the simple app, you can become a coordination hub for a high-tech patient care team.

For More Information

Keep patients satisfied and engaged by improving the outcomes and growing a professional network to support their healthcare journeys. Visit our website to learn more about the CarePICS virtual care platform.