Northwestern Memorial Hospital Transforms into an 'Internet Hospital' and Files IPO Prospectus
The internet has triggered a wave of minor disruptions across various industries. However, the healthcare sector has been subjected to particularly intense scrutiny. Since the emergence of the concept of “Internet Healthcare,” controversy surrounding it has never ceased. Within the healthcare system, hospitals are likely to feel the impact most acutely. As this sector is widely regarded as the “deep-water zone” of reform—where changes are complex and challenging—the choice between going with the flow or charting an independent course is best informed by overseas hospitals with extensive experience. VCBeat has selected and analyzed hospitals listed in the “2015–2016 Best Hospitals in America” rankings to help practitioners across China’s healthcare industry understand how overseas hospitals leverage the internet and build their business models. This article examines how Northwestern Memorial Hospital leverages “Internet Plus.”
Northwestern Memorial Hospital, established on September 1, 1972, is located in downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is one of the most important medical centers in the Midwestern United States and the earliest affiliated hospital of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. The hospital was formed by the merger of two of Chicago’s oldest hospitals: Passavant Memorial Hospital (founded in 1865) and Wesley Memorial Hospital (founded in 1888).In the 2013–2014 U.S. News & World Report rankings of America’s Best Hospitals, Northwestern Memorial Hospital ranked sixth nationwide and first in both Illinois and the city of Chicago. The hospital also achieved high rankings in 12 specialties, including Neurology and Neurosurgery (#7), Orthopedics (#7), Diabetes and Endocrinology (#9), Urology (#9), Gastroenterology and GI Surgery (#10), Gynecology (#11), Geriatrics (#11), Cardiology and Heart Surgery (#12), Pulmonology and Lung Surgery (#13), Cancer (#14), Nephrology (#14), and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) (#17). Additionally, it demonstrated outstanding performance in Rheumatology and Ophthalmology.
How to “Leverage” the Internet in the Digital Age
▼▼▼Northwestern MedicineNorthwestern Medicine is an organization established through the collaboration of Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. It is responsible for research, teaching, patient care, and other duties, with the mission of providing patients with the highest quality services, achieving academic research outcomes, and transforming future models of healthcare.
Northwestern Medicine comprises more than 25,000 clinicians, administrative staff, scientific faculty, and medical students. The organizations and hospitals affiliated with Northwestern Medicine remain independent entities. Currently, “Northwestern Medicine” serves as a trademark used by Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University.
▼▼▼ Telemedicine Remote Healthcare Project
In recent years, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have begun piloting telemedicine initiatives.
▼ Telephone Therapy Experimental Program
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine conducted a study on unipolar depression, aiming to help women with bipolar disorder regain interest in life through “telephone therapy” and communication with physicians. The trial enrolled patients aged 21–65 years whose mood was controlled with medication but who had lost enthusiasm for life. This telemedicine pilot program included 12 telephone therapy sessions and three in-person visits.
▼ Video Library
Northwestern Memorial Hospital offers a variety of videos on its homepage for patients to view, covering topics such as diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, urology, and otolaryngology. In these videos, physicians explain disease progression, common treatment approaches, and subsequent clinical courses. Although this does not constitute face-to-face dialogue, Northwestern Medicine remains committed to enhancing patients’ understanding of their conditions and facilitating more effective communication between patients and physicians.
▼▼▼ Patient Portal: MyNM's MyChart
MyNM’s MyChart is a free patient portal offered by Northwestern Medicine, enabling patients to securely manage their medical records and communicate seamlessly with their physicians via personal computers, smartphones, or tablets.
MyNM’s MyChart Features: Send secure electronic messages to your primary care physician Access health information regarding the patient’s condition and treatment View the patient’s test results and discharge instructions Schedule and manage outpatient appointments View bills and make online paymentsViewing Test Results: Most laboratory results are posted to the patient portal after they have been reviewed by the physician, typically within 3–5 business days. For patients treated in the emergency department, all test results are made available on the patient portal upon discharge.
As a proxy (parent, legal guardian, or other caregiver), you can view the patient’s account through MyNM's MyChart; however, to protect privacy, proxies are not authorized to access communications between the patient and healthcare providers.
▼Bill Payment:
MyNM’s MyChart consolidates Northwestern Memorial Hospital bills into a single comprehensive statement with detailed line-item charges. Patients can log in to the patient portal and pay all bills online with a single click.
▼ Patient Medical Record Management:
Patient records at Northwestern Memorial Hospital are maintained in paper files, on computers, and even on other media such as audio and video recordings. Each patient visit to the hospital is documented in the institution’s records. Typically, these records include the patient’s symptoms, health examinations performed, test results, and more. This patient record will be used for
Medical Professionals' Treatment of Patients
Communicating the Patient's Condition to Family Members
Assist hospitals in the rational allocation of resources
For legal matters and compulsory measures, such as abuse of women and children
For researchers to improve treatment protocols and develop new drugs
Patient's Insurance Company Bill Payment Voucher
Patients have the right to request their medical records from the hospital, require the institution to correct and update their personal information, and even obtain a personal summary containing their own medical records.
▼▼▼App
▼iSaveFertility
Cancer treatments often impair patients’ fertility, yet not all physicians are well-versed in this issue. In early June 2011, Northwestern University launched the iSaveFertility app to address this gap.iSaveFertility provides oncologists with a reference guide for preserving fertility in pediatric, male, and female cancer patients.
iSaveFertility is an authoritative resource that enables adult cancer patients and parents of children with cancer to understand what may occur during cancer treatment, facilitating clearer and more effective communication with their healthcare providers to optimize treatment outcomes. Users can also access the affiliated website, SaveMyFertility.org, through iSaveFertility for additional information.
▼Diet & Acne—The Patient’s Food Identifier
An app exploring the impact of diet on acne. “Diet & Acne” uses systematic data analysis to show users whether certain foods—such as chocolate, fats, sugars, and whey protein—are associated with the development or exacerbation of acne. Through the app, users may be surprised to learn that numerous randomized controlled trials have failed to provide scientific evidence that chocolate worsens acne. In “Diet & Acne,” researchers also highlight the strong association between acne and dairy products (particularly skim milk), whey protein, omega-6 fatty acids, and high-sugar foods. The app further explains how foods rich in antioxidants and fiber can effectively reduce acne incidence in some studies.Within just five months of its launch in 2013, “Diet & Acne” was downloaded 5,507 times by users across 98 countries worldwide. For patients, “Diet & Acne” serves as a vigilant food screener; for physicians, it acts more like a toolkit, enabling them to prescribe more targeted treatments based on scientific research.
▼GI Diaries—A Diary for Patients with Esophageal Diseases
To reduce patient consultation time and improve response rates, the Esophageal Disease Center at Northwestern University has developed a mobile application called GI Diaries. GI Diaries collects basic information from patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), including their daily symptoms and medications taken. The initial design purpose of GI Diaries was to address the issue that many patients are unable to accurately describe their symptoms to doctors during hospital visits and lack the time to record their symptoms daily. Thus, GI Diaries was created to provide patients with a simpler and more feasible model for consistent symptom tracking. Another significant feature of GI Diaries is its ability to wirelessly export patient data to a secure database and link it with electronic medical records, facilitating easy access for physicians. The development of GI Diaries enables doctors not only to continuously refine treatment strategies for GERD but also to guide the diagnosis and management of other gastrointestinal disorders.
▼Intellicare
Surveys indicate that over 20% of individuals exhibit significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, yet only 4% actively seek treatment and external support. To help more patients with mental health conditions access care, scientists at Northwestern Medicine have developed this app.Intellicare is not just a single app; it is a suite of applications comprising 12 mini-apps. By downloading the main app or any individual mini-app, each patient can receive assistance from therapists.
Intellicare makes the treatment process highly engaging. It helps users relax when they are overly self-critical, alleviates their anxieties when they are worried, encourages meditation to relieve physical and mental stress, and provides helpful tips from authoritative physicians. Its most distinctive feature is that Intellicare adapts its communication style with patients on a weekly basis according to user preferences, making the entire mobile-based therapy more interesting.
▼▼▼Hardware Devices
▼3D-Printed Thoracic Model
Pediatricians may encounter only a handful of neonatal heart disease cases in a given year, but when they do, performing complex surgeries within the tiny thoracic cavity of an infant can be an immense challenge for surgeons. Northwestern Medicine has begun utilizing 3D printing technology to create surgical field models, serving as practice tools for surgeons outside the operating room. In collaboration with engineers from the Innovation Lab at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern Medicine has developed a life-size, reusable neonatal thoracic model. The process involves using a 3D printer to produce a simulated neonatal chest model based on digital files, which is then covered with synthetic skin and filled with tissue-like materials to enhance realism. Whether used by novice physicians for hands-on training or by experienced surgeons to study specific pathologies, these 3D-printed thoracic models have become indispensable aids in enhancing surgical skills.Additionally, Northwestern Medicine offers training courses for resident physicians that incorporate the use of these 3D-printed models for practice.
▼ “Aware in Care” Toolkit
According to a study, three-quarters of patients with Parkinson’s disease do not take their medications as prescribed, leading to a higher incidence of preventable complications compared to patients with other conditions. To help more Parkinson’s patients receive better care, the Parkinson’s Foundation introduced the “Aware in Care” kit at its leadership conference in 2011. The Northwestern Parkinson’s Disease Center is the third-party provider that supplies the “Aware in Care” kit to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
This kit includes:
Guide to Preparing for Hospital Admission Procedures
Health Card with Emergency Contact Number
Medication Administration Chart
Parkinson's Disease Patient Identification Bracelet
“I Have Parkinson’s Disease” Reminder Card
Thank You Card
Text | Zhou Yanxun