Digital Health Thoughts

PAA stands for Patient Admission App. In a nutshell it is a platform in which the hospital can communicate with its patients and their relatives before, during and after their stay in  the hospital. A patient's encounter with a hospital is often a traumatic event to both the patient and his family. A lack of  proper communication between the parties can have major implications on the hospital efficiency and the patient's experience which research shows has a critical impact on the quality of care. From red tape to red carpet  A PAA should accompany the patient throughout his journey by keeping him informed and engaged. This starts prior to the actual admission when the patient feels scared, anxious and confused. A PAA should provide the patient with all the information related to his upcoming treatment. This can include treatment reminders such as not to eat x hours before a planned anesthesia, orientation map, etc. It should also handle in...

Patient engagement is currently considered the cornerstone of the health care system revolution for its positive impact on health outcomes and health care costs. There is a growing body of evidence supporting that the association between better patient experience and health care quality. A recent article published in JAMA Internal Medicine demonstrates this association. The research compares the patient experience as measured by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) star ratings and higher quality of care in hospitals in the United States. The study found that a higher CMS star rating was associated with lower patient mortality and readmission's. The US National Library of Medicine (PMC) conducted a systematic review of the literature analyzing the impact of information technology on patient engagement and health behavior change. The PMC research reviewed in detail a total of 170 articles. Overall, 88.8% (151/170) of studies showed a positive impact on pati...