UPMC to Pilot Support App at Its Centers for Perioperative Care

Oct. 20, 2022

Pip Care services include appointment reminders, goal trackers, and access to certified health coaches

Pip Care, the first company to be created out of a collaboration between UPMC Enterprises and Redesign Health, was established to help patients prepare for and recover from surgery through a consumer-facing app.

Pip Care focuses on digitization and automation of existing perioperative processes, workflows, and protocols. The company provides one-on-one patient health coaching and education to prepare patients for surgery and recovery.

Beginning later this fall, Pip Care will be piloted at all three of UPMC’s Centers for Perioperative Care (CPC) at UPMC Shadyside, UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Horizon. The UPMC CPC teams use a multidisciplinary approach to improving high-risk patients’ post-surgical outcomes through managing chronic conditions and making healthy lifestyle changes before surgery. Currently, the three CPCs combined see approximately 10 percent of all surgical patients with inpatient stays at UPMC.

During the pilot, patients will have access to the full suite of Pip Care services, including appointment reminders, goal trackers, and access to Pip Care’s certified health coaches. UMPC said Pip Care’s health coaches provide one-on-one care and guidance, going beyond a one-size-fits-all approach for surgery prep and recovery. These coaches provide personalized care plans for patients at any given point during their surgical journey.

Supporting a patient through their entire surgical journey improves outcomes as well as patient satisfaction and lowers the total cost of care. Pip Care’s platform alleviates administrative burden, allowing clinicians to practice at the top of their licenses. With all this information in one place, patients and providers have a smooth experience navigating through the surgical care process, UPMC said.

“Surgery can be incredibly difficult on a patient’s body. In some cases, it can have the same toll as running a marathon,” said Aman Mahajan, M.D., M.D., chair of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, and executive director of UPMC Perioperative Services, in a statement. “If we can help patients make healthier decisions – like losing weight or quitting smoking — before they have their procedure, then we can lessen their time in the hospital and speed up their recovery. It is a service that all patients could benefit from, not just those who are at a higher risk for complications. We want to bring the CPC services to more patients while still creating an excellent experience, and Pip Care will help us reach this goal.”

“Pip Care represents a journey of collaboration to bring UPMC’s novel perioperative services to more patients through both internal scale and external commercialization,” said UPMC Enterprises Senior Director of Product Management Curtis Stratman, in a statement. “I am excited to see the power of UPMC clinicians, UPMC Enterprises, and Redesign Health on display through Pip Care to impact patient outcomes.”

“The human interaction is what makes Pip Care special,” said Kathy Kaluhiokalani, founder and chief executive officer of Pip Care, in a statement. “While patients understand a planned surgery can reduce pain, improve mobility and change their quality of life, questions and fears about surgical procedures can lead to delays or even no-shows. Having a personal health coach to guide you along each step of your journey is key to ensuring patients complete surgery with confidence and have a smooth recovery.”

Pip Care’s digital tool is built upon a medical approach known as “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery,” or ERAS, which UPMC has been applying since 2015. “We are excited to go on this journey with UPMC and Redesign Health,” Kaluhiokalani said. “We believe Pip Care’s approach will create better outcomes for health systems and help patients live healthier lives.”