Using technology in health care to interact with people certainly opens up new avenues of communication and yields more data than ever. The intriguing question of whether and to what degree such interactions actually influence health behavior and improve health remains to be answered. Panelists in a Health Journalism 2013 session on the topic shared their highly varied experiences in applying technologies and social media tools to address specific concerns.
To reduce hospital readmissions by ensuring that patients know what to do when they go home,. Brian Jack, M.D., chair of family medicine at Boston University School of Medicine Boston, created an interactive tool for patients as part an initiative called Project RED or Project Re-Engineered Discharge. Virtual patient advocates interact with patients at their bedside on a touch screen, reviewing discharge information to prepare patients, then confirming their understanding by asking questions. Patients express near unanimous satisfaction with the tool, finding it easy to use even for those who have never used a computer.
Project RED also introduced a checklist for hospitals to use with elements known to reduce readmissions, such as identifying correct medications and a plan for taking them, as well as an after-hospital care plan and color-coded calendar that patients and families love. Continue reading