[Patently Apple]: Apple has made great strides in health in the last few years and if it gets its way, there will be an iPad in the hands of every hospital patient. It's already started with a smattering of hospitals around the U.S. including Jacobs Medical Center at UC San Diego, MetroSouth Medical Center in Chicago and about a year ago at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
Last week, TechCrunch writer Sara Buhr went down to L.A. to take a tour of Cedars-Sinai's pilot program allowing patients direct access to their vitals, care team and educational tools through iPads.
Buhr reports that "Doctors are already adept at using mobile devices and many have been using iPads in their practices for a number of years now, but allowing patient's access to their own information is still a novel idea in the medical world. Cedars has been somewhat ahead of the curve with the creation of its EHR software My CS-Link, which allows patients to look up their information online, including notes from their doctor.
However, without the iPad, doctors and nurses have to follow a paper trail and then write up duplicate information on a white board often found on the back wall in the patient's room. Mistakes can happen and, as Cedars-Sinai doctor Shaun Miller told Buhr, the staff often run out of room to write, leading to confusion or a lack of information for the patient.
Cedars uses Epic's MyChart software to record vitals and other info on roughly 50 iPads in its heart failure unit where patients often have to stay for an extended period of time. The program also benefits the care team. Michelle Williams, a registered nurse at Cedars told TechCrunch the program made it easier for nurses. The nursing staff often get stuck with duplicate work requiring both educating patients on care and checking to see if they have all the necessary information. However, the program offers educational videos on the iPad and a handy way for patients to see all their information at the same time." For more on this, read the full TechCrunch report here.
