Four healthcare team apps result from Apple, IBM partnership
The MobileFirst for iOS partnership between Apple and IBM announced last summer has resulted in four new healthcare enterprise mobile apps.
Hospital RN, Hospital Lead, Hospital Tech, and Home RN are the first such apps developed specifically for the healthcare industry and will “enable care workers to transform workflow to deliver the best patient experience and highest quality care,” according to information on the IBMS' MobileFirst website.
The apps, three for iPhone and one for iPad, are designed for use by nurses.
Hospital RN for iPhone is meant to enable nurses to “quickly tap into integrated systems of record, task organization tools and iBeacon technology while staying connected to colleagues.” iBeacon is Apple's implementation of Bluetooth low-energy wireless technology that provides location-based information and services to iPhones and other iOS devices. For the Hospital RN app, iBeacon identifies patient rooms and displays relevant patient data based on proximity.
Hospital Tech for iPhone “equips nursing assistants and technicians with the tools to better organize and prioritize tasks, so they can spend more time caring for patients while staying connected to their team.” The app accesses task prioritization and patient logistics planning alongside key systems of record, including demographics, diagnosis, orders, care plans and average length of stay information.
Hospital Lead for iPad helps hospital charge nurses and care managers “prioritize unit activities based on real-time information to facilitate on-time discharges and improve patient experiences.” The app receives and dynamically updates key information such as patient requests, tasks overdue, new orders, safety alerts and delegated tasks.
The Home RN app for iPhone “equips home-based nurses with better tools to manage case loads and provide patient-centered care.” The app provides recommended aftercare plans and discharge instructions based on location and hospital care team notes, as well as captures and shares photos, videos, text and voice notes with the hospital care team through built-in iOS technology to communicate patient progress and coordinate care.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.