Imagine going home from the hospital just 3 days early after having major, open-heart surgery. That's becoming a reality, aided by new digital health apps that are connecting doctors and patients like never before and redefining what it means to deliver a superior Patient Experience.
A CES 2016, Samsung announced a new Bio Processor that can be used by smart watches to track heart rate, blood pressure and electrocardiography (ECG) in real time. This is big news for cardiovascular surgery and the monitoring of Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heart beat).
AFib is always a concern, but for surgeons, it is the single biggest concern after heart surgery. The Samsung Bio Processor could be used in devices and apps that let patients share important vitals with physicians. With this kind of remote monitoring, physicians would have access to real-time data and alerts that help them identify if a change in medication or follow-up exam is needed. It means a greater sense of control for physicians, and, meanwhile, patients can be discharged earlier to recover more comfortably – but equally as safe – in their own home.
PostApp is a post-surgical application doctors can use to keep an eye on the recovery progress of patients.
Patient satisfaction is undoubtedly top of mind for today’s hospitals. But this brings the concept to an entirely new place.
Rather than focusing on changes in day-to-day operations that only lead to incremental increases in HCAHPS scores, hospitals that invest in technology like this are turning patient experience on its head and creating true differentiation in a very crowded space. And the investment doesn’t have to be large: when you’re sending patients home sooner and reducing readmission, insurance companies will gladly pay to keep patients' hospital bills down.
To read more about this and other ways hospitals are delivering on a new patient experience inside – and outside – the hospital, read Tony's Story: A New Take on Patient Experience.
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