When Texas Children’s inpatient services open at The Woodlands Tuesday, April 11, patients will begin using tablets to participate in their own care. Studies show patients who are engaged in their own care are more likely to experience better outcomes, lower costs and increased patient satisfaction.
As part of an ongoing effort to enhance the patient experience, Texas Children’s will introduce the MyChart Bedside inpatient portal at The Woodlands. While the existing MyChart patient portal gives patients access to their medical information after office visits, MyChart Bedside brings this service to hospitalized patients.
How will Bedside work?
Upon admission, an authorized patient or family member will receive an iPad with the Bedside app activated for that specific admission. While hospitalized, the patient will use the iPad as a portal to view a variety of information, educational material and to communicate with caregivers.
The patient will retain the iPad for the length of the inpatient stay, then the staff will re-load Bedside to prepare for the next patient. No patient information is stored on the tablet, so a user’s medical records remain secure. The Bedside app can be loaded onto multiple devices if a patient/parent also chooses to use a personal tablet (iOS or Android).
While Bedside is exclusive to The Woodlands inpatient facility, Texas Children’s employs the GetWell Network to provide similar services using the in-room television for inpatients across the rest of the organization.
How will patients/parents use Bedside?
Patients/parents will use Bedside and the tablet for several purposes:
- Information – Patients/parents will be able to view a variety of information related to their health and treatment, such as medications and vital signs.
- Communication – Engages patients as members of their own treatment team by providing a mechanism to communicate non-urgent requests and recognize individual caregivers.
- Education – Patients/parents will have access to education materials such as instructional videos and other media designed to help them better understand their care and condition, reducing the chances of re-hospitalization.
- Entertainment – In addition to Bedside, the tablets have been loaded with gaming apps and a video streaming app to help our pediatric patients pass the time during their stay.
Additional benefits
In addition to the functions outlined above, Bedside is designed to empower patients/families, leading to:
- Improved patient satisfaction
- Enhanced quality and safety of care
- Increased MyChart usage
- More compliance objectives met