Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) announced they will provide tablets geared with an educational-based mobile app to every patient bedside by Fall 2015. While it might be tempting to download Instagram to stay connected, sorry kids, the tablet will house their multilingual Journey Boards app designed to provide information to parents and patients about the “journey” of care from admittance in the hospital to their transition home. The intuitive app will also have customized content for each patient on medication, procedures, home care for their child and more.
A parent of a now healthy former patient shared their experience with the Journey Boards and said that initially it was difficult for the family to understand procedures for their daughter, but Journey Boards helped educate the family, she said.
The new digital version of Journey Boards will help young tech-savvy parents and better educate them about the care process for their children, Teresa Boeger, director of family centered care, said.
“After saving lives, patient and family education is the most important thing,” Boeger said.
With help from the Journey Boards app, parents have more confidence when it comes to caring for their child at home, Boeger said. This can prevent future hospital visits too, she said.
David Higginson, CIO at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, said this is the first hospital to provide tablets at every bedside.
The mobile applications and tablets were funded by a $200,000 grant given to Phoenix Children’s Hospital by the Cox Communications’ James M. Cox Foundation. David Higginson, CIO at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, said this is the first hospital to provide tablets at every bedside.
Executive Vice President of Cox Enterprises, Alex Taylor, shared that he hopes to see a healthcare revolution thanks to mobile technology. As a parent, Taylor said, not understanding what is wrong with your child is a terrible thing.
Before mobile technology, Journey Boards were originally large printed out poster boards created by the nursing staff at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Thanks to technology like Journey Boards that fear of not knowing or understanding [the patient process] is alleviated, he said.
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