Sean Riley, CIO at New York Cancer and Blood Specialists and cofounder of SherpaHealth.ai
Photo: SherpaHealth.ai
At New York Cancer and Blood Specialists, the exam room experience used to rely heavily on verbal explanations and written materials that often were dense and difficult for patients to absorb in real time.
THE CHALLENGE
While providers worked to explain conditions and treatment plans clearly, patients frequently struggled to visualize how diseases affected their bodies or how specific therapies worked, especially when the information was complex or unfamiliar.
At the same time, patient data collection within the exam room was inconsistent and largely manual. Intake forms, screenings and questionnaires often were completed on paper or facilitated by staff, which introduced variability in completion rates and data quality.
This approach made it difficult to ensure information was captured fully and consistently during each visit and often required additional follow-up after the appointment. Together, these challenges created gaps in patient understanding and placed added administrative burden on clinical and operational teams.
PROPOSAL
"To address these challenges, NYCBS began working with the vendor PatientPoint with the goal of enhancing the exam room experience through a combination of visual patient education and structured digital data collection," said Sean Riley, CIO at New York Cancer and Blood Specialists and cofounder of SherpaHealth.ai.
"The vendor's in-room wallboards offered an opportunity to present educational content in a way that was more engaging and easier for patients to understand, particularly through anatomy visuals and disease-specific explanations," he continued.
In parallel, NYCBS recognized the need for a reliable platform that would allow patients to enter information directly in the exam room, he added.
"This included not only basic intake data, but also clinically meaningful screenings that support care delivery and quality initiatives," Riley explained. "The overarching goal was to improve patient comprehension and engagement while enabling more consistent, accurate data capture – all without increasing workload for providers or staff or disrupting existing clinical workflows."
The approach focused on making medical information more visual, interactive and easier to understand, while supporting both providers and patients during the visit, said Dr. Alfredo Torres, associate chief medical officer at New York Cancer and Blood Specialists.
"PatientPoint serves as a shared educational tool in the exam room, offering access to anatomy visuals, pharmaceutical information and short educational videos that explain diagnoses and procedures in plain language," he noted. "The goal is to improve patient understanding and engagement while also using in-office time more effectively by allowing patients to review educational content and complete required forms before or during their visit."
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
Following implementation, the vendor's wallboards were deployed throughout exam rooms to deliver patient education content, including anatomy visualizations, disease education modules and other in-room educational materials designed to support provider-patient conversations.
At the same time, vendor SherpaHealth.ai's technology was implemented on those same wallboards as the platform for structured digital data collection. Patients use Sherpa during their visit to complete intake information, mental health screenings and social determinants of health questionnaires directly in the exam room.
"This approach allows data to be captured at a natural point in the visit, improves completion rates and reduces reliance on staff-led processes," Riley explained. "By combining education and data collection within the exam room, the platform fits seamlessly into existing workflows and enhances the overall visit experience without adding operational complexity."
The vendors' combined technologies became part of the everyday patient experience. Patients use the touchscreen while waiting to review educational content relevant to their care and complete digital paperwork, reducing dependence on front-desk processes.
"Providers also use PatientPoint during appointments to visually walk patients through anatomy, treatment plans and procedures – reinforcing verbal explanations with on-screen visuals," Torres said. "The platform fits smoothly into existing workflows, requires minimal staff guidance, and helps streamline visits without adding complexity for clinicians or staff."
RESULTS
Since implementation, NYCBS has seen meaningful improvements in both patient understanding and data collection. Visual, in-room education has helped patients better grasp their diagnoses and conditions by making abstract or complex concepts easier to understand, which supports more productive conversations with providers, Riley reported.
"In addition, the use of Sherpa for in-room data collection has led to more consistent and complete capture of intake forms and screenings," he said. "Completion rates have improved, manual staff follow-up has decreased, and chart completeness has increased as a result of capturing information directly from patients during the visit.
"Together, the combination of visual education and structured digital data collection has strengthened patient engagement, supported quality and reporting initiatives, and increased the overall value of the exam room experience for both patients and care teams," he added.
"Patient engagement and preparedness have increased," Torres said. "Patients respond positively to the platform's visual and interactive elements, including anatomical diagrams and clear representations of how treatments affect the body. These tools help patients better understand their condition, medications and upcoming procedures.
"PatientPoint also has supported more efficient visits, particularly those involving extensive education or paperwork," he concluded. "Patients arrive to conversations more informed and engaged, which leads to better questions, clearer discussions and an overall improved clinical experience."
Follow Bill's health IT coverage on LinkedIn: Bill Siwicki
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Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
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