The case for PAA

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 advance all the bureaucratic routines, such as filling up a pre-anesthesia assessment and submitting a consent form, in order to insure a smooth admission process.

Information is a cure to the mind 

During the hospital stay there is often an information gap between the patient and the care givers. The patient feels lack of control and is in constant and exhausting pursuit after information. 

A PAA mitigate that information gap by integrating with the clinical systems in use by the care team and exposing to the patient the information the care team would like to share as soon as it is made available. This includes items such as the patient's treatment plan, screening assessments and new lab results that are ready.

A safety net to improve patient safety 

Providing the patient with access to the data recorded in his medical record can reduce errors which are the results of miscommunication and simple human mistakes. By reviewing his record, the patient can validate that important information such as known allergies, home medications, and medical history are accurately recorded and that the care team is basing their decisions on a correct and up to date information.

Recovery is part of the treatment

Back at home, when the care team is no longer around, the patient often feels confused, helpless and disengaged. As a results, the patient is prone to fail following the instructions given to him at discharge such as the medications to take and follow up appointments. A PAA should come to rescue at this stage as well as by providing post care education and  treatment reminders. In addition, the data captured during the stay can be shared with the GP and help future treatment and consultation.

Lastly, a PAA should allow the patient to fill a satisfactory survey to let the hospital know what can be improved, or to simply say thank you.