Yle, Finland's national public broadcasting company, referred today to The Hospital District of South Ostrobothnia's EPSHP Hupulaanen mobile app, which is part of Buddy Healthcare's care coordination platform.
The Hospital District of South Ostrobothnia started digitising surgery patients' care pathways in autumn 2019. The hospital's care coordination platform currently has a couple of digital care pathways, such as joint replacement and pediatric ear tube procedures.
Clinical nurse specialist Maija Kallio-Kujala from the Hospital District of South Ostrobothnia has stated that the goal is to develop a patient care coordination system based on patient experiences. Both Kallio-Kujala and her colleague, head nurse Elina Kalliovalkama, believe that using a mobile app with patient guidance belongs to today's digital era.
Kallio-Kujala described the EPSHP Hupulaanen app as a friend who helps the patient navigate the surgery process. The app supports and creates a feeling of safety for the patient.
How does the digital patient guidance process work?
When the hospital has decided to proceed with surgery, and the patient has logged into the mobile app for the first time, he can start familiarizing himself with the materials inside the app. All information has been scheduled to arrive according to the patient's app at the right time. EPSHP Hupulaanen helps patients with the surgery preparation, gives information on the procedure, and supports postoperative care.
Kalliovalkama described the joint replacement patient's surgical pathway as long and with many steps. When guiding pediatric patients, the app contains stories and images that help the parents prepare their child for the surgery. A child preparing for surgery can see beforehand what kind of hospital he or she will be arriving at.
The mobile app sends smart reminders to patients. For example, patients who will be attending cataract surgery will be reminded when exactly to use eye drops after the surgery. The app also collects all scheduled meetings in one place and has important contact details for the hospital. Chat services enable patients to send messages to the hospital.
Kallio-Kujala has been surprised by how well orthopedic joint replacement patients have adopted the app. She expected pediatric patients' parents to adopt the app more easily than orthopedic patients.
Meanwhile, the patients are using the app, and the hospital can monitor them remotely. The hospital care personnel can see if patients have acknowledged that they have, for example, read instructions or information packages.
Kalliovalkama has stated that the long-term goal is for 70-80% of patients to go through the digital care pathway and use the app.
Do you want to watch the Yle news clip? Click here and scroll to 2:14:40.
Yle morning news presented the Hospital District of South Ostrobothnia's EPSHP Hupulaanen mobile app, which was created in collaboration with Buddy Healthcare.
