For patients living with blood cancer, we know care extends well beyond diagnosis and treatment as they navigate a very complex health-care journey. And although resources are available to help address these needs, connecting patients to those services at the right time can be difficult within our busy clinical environments. In 2024, Blood Cancer United and Memorial Healthcare System partnered to change that by developing an innovative technology solution called Uniter. The end goal of this was to connect blood cancer patients with support services as part of routine clinical care by connecting the electronic medical record and Blood Cancer United resources.

When a patient is identified as potentially benefiting from support services, Epic, or their electronic medical resource, prompts the care team to obtain consent. With the patient's approval, relevant information is securely transmitted to Blood Cancer United, allowing its information resource center to proactively reach out and offer individualized assistance, ranging from financial assistance, insurance navigation, social support, clinical trial navigation, and even one-on-one disease and treatment education.

Now, before implementation of Uniter, just 30 patients received a total of 49 support services over a 29-month period. Following implementation, 319 patients received 394 unique services in only 16 months. Monthly service utilization increased from fewer than two services per month to nearly 25. Provider engagement also increased significantly. The number of providers referring patients grew from 10 to 35, while referral rates increased from approximately one referral per month to nearly 20 referrals per month. Important to note, 94% of providers making referrals after implementation used Uniter as their primary referral method. This technology also broadened participation across the care team. Prior to the implementation, social workers were putting in all the referrals. After implementation, nurses became the leading referral source, accounting for half of all the referrals followed by physicians and nurse practitioners.

This program was also able to reach a diverse patient population. More than one in five referred patients were Spanish-speaking, underscoring the program's ability to connect with traditionally underserved communities. Feedback from patients, providers, staff, and organizational leaders were overwhelmingly positive. At the same time, stakeholders identified opportunities to strengthen this program, including enhancing the user interface, identifying clinical champions to support adoption, providing easier access to relevant patient information, and offering ongoing education and training for providers. This collaboration demonstrates how thoughtfully designed technology can help bridge the gap between clinical care and supportive services.

By integrating referrals directly in to the electronic health record, Blood Cancer United and Memorial Healthcare System made it easier for providers to connect patients with critical resources. Ultimately, this project shows that when technology is designed around both patients and providers, it can expand access, improve the care experience, and help ensure that no patient faces their cancer journey alone.