As the industry-leading independent utilization and clinical review company in the United States, MRIoA (Medical Review Institute of America) empowers patients to make informed treatment decisions by providing evidence-based, reliable second opinions from medical specialists. They partnered with Thrivable to evaluate numerous aspects of patient involvement and identify opportunities to improve both the experience and associated health outcomes.

Establishing the Framework for Effective Research: Who and What to Ask

MRIoA’s dedication to providing patients with potential alternatives to invasive surgical procedures can yield significant results: Insurance providers benefit from reduced costs while patients often realize better health outcomes. The company’s review process is high touch and involves a range of patient education materials. Assessing the effectiveness of these materials and the steps that patients go through is essential to delivering the best possible experience.

For this particular project, MRIoA focused on a highly specific patient population — people who had undergone specific types of spine surgeries or were considering these surgeries within the next six months, as well as patients whose claims for these surgeries had been denied. Among the questions that MRIoA sought to answer:

• What do participants think of the educational videos?

• Are the videos easy to understand? Do they offer value?

• Is the patient portal navigation intuitive? What is confusing?

• Do patients prefer self-navigating through a variety of educational materials or is a more curated approach favored?

• Which sequence of communications is most effective in ensuring a positive experience?

Moving Quickly From Questions to Answers

To arrive at the insights, MRIoA worked with Thrivable on a two-part qualitative study that used in-depth-interviews (IDIs) to gather patient perspectives. The facilitator guide was structured to address all main aspects of the MRIoA experience: Text Message, Script, Registration, Patient Report, and Videos, as well as several versions of the patient portal.

Thrivable also provided support by:

• Recruiting the right patients for the project. The study’s value relied tremendously on the ability to speak directly with those who possessed all of MRIoA’s target attributes and characteristics.

• Coordinating and facilitating all sessions. A Thrivable moderator conducted each session over video, allowing MRIoA’s research team to watch in real time and provide prompts for the moderator on important follow-up questions.

MRIoA and Thrivable also took advantage of the study’s format, pausing to assess the effectiveness of the initial IDIs and use the learnings to optimize the facilitator guide for all subsequent sessions.

Working with Thrivable is unique in two ways. First, there’s the speed with which we completed the research. The turnaround time for each phase of the project was incredibly fast. Secondly, the attentiveness of their research team was exceptional. They really made it easy for us to do, and it felt like they were our own team members rather than an outside vendor — a real partnership. The high level of touch and care with us and the members of the panel aligned with MRIoA’s commitment to delivering a high-touch experience for patients.

— Chris Brandl, Director of Patient Engagement
Medical Review Institute of America (MRIoA)

Making Minor Adjustments for Big Impact

Results from the IDIs are being used to enhance all aspects of the patient experience, from the portal and review process to physician interactions and even the language used to educate patients about highly complex procedures. Among the more immediate changes, MRIoA has streamlined the portal registration process to better accommodate user preferences. “Many of the adjustments we’re making may appear minor, yet in reality they are exactly the kinds of tweaks that have big impact,” notes Director of Patient Engagement Chris Brandl.

For example, MRIoA began their study unsure of when to deliver the assessment report to the patient — before or after the patient’s consultation with an MD. The company assumed that perhaps the report was confusing to patients when sent prior to the consultation. However, the research findings indicated the opposite. Patients clearly prefer to receive it ahead of time, primarily because having a copy in advance enables them to ask much better questions during their consultation.

Another concern MRIoA had was that one of the educational videos was too long. But participants revealed that, given they were facing the prospect of major surgery, the more information and understanding they had, the better.

Beyond the immediate changes MRIoA has implemented, the results are being used to inform three pilot programs that will allow MRIoA to further leverage the insights as they work to continually improve the patient experience.