Patient ExperienceBe Closer to Your Patient

At some point in our lives, we will all know someone who has to spend time in Hospital. Their families are likely constantly worried, even if they spend most of their time at the hospital, taking care of their friend.

They worry about the wellbeing and health of their friend or relative when they are not present. Did my friend take his pills? Is his blood pressure normal? Did my sister sleep well? It’s a stressful time.

Families getting closer thanks to a mobile app

I’m sure that when you read the above scenario, you felt the pain of the worried person. With the progression of mobile apps, there are solutions. HealthGrid, as mentioned on their LinkedIn page is aiming to change the way healthcare providers connect and collaborate with each other, as well as with patients and their families.

CareNotify™ is one solution from HealthGrid.

What is CareNotify™?

HealthGrid describes CareNotify™ as:

A device-agnostic mobile solution that updates patients and families with real-time information about their important clinical events.

I liked how HealthGrid describes CareNotify™ in their video, they explain that the app is about being both involved and connected in the care process for both the patient and the family. People sometimes cannot stay at the hospital all the time or may want to get in touch with a care provider who may not always be available.

With CareNotify™, families can monitor patient care using any smart device. For example, the app provides real-time notifications for any clinical event, such as medications given and nutritional updates. You can exchange secure messages with doctors or other members of the care team about the patient to keep up to date.

A feature I love is that it can sync information with any health information system (HIS), which reduces the administration overhead on already time-poor medical institutions.

When it is time for the patient to go home, family or friends can view and download discharge instructions and care summary documents, which helps in running the care process smoothly.

Through CareNotify™, families can be true partners in patient care, both in and out of the hospital. Such connectedness can improve patient satisfaction and improve outcomes.

Nicklaus children’s hospital joining the move

In a news post, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, part of the Miami Children’s Health System, mentioned that it uses CareNotify™. The Hospital sends information directly from the healthcare system (Cerner EHR) to families, updating them about their Child’s health.

Jacques Orces, D.O., Florida healthcare system’s CMIO, said:

The mHealth app from Miami-based HealthGrid is a useful tool for patient engagement. Patients and families like using the app, and it provides a soft ROI (return on investment), a sort of unquantifiable but important benefit: increasing patient satisfaction and trust in the healthcare system.

Conclusion

Mobile health has extended to bringing loved ones together during times of illness. They are notified promptly about their family member or friend- wherever they are. They can get in touch with the doctors and care providers to learn more about the patient. Such technology can bring more satisfaction to the patient and can also improve outcomes for discharge.