Hospital patients often suffer from TMI — not a disease, but the bombardment of too much complex information from doctors and nurses.
A steady stream of medication changes, therapy appointments or lab tests can drift in one ear and out the other, leaving patients confused and feeling like herded cattle.
When patients go to hospitals, "they just lose so much control," said Derek Ryan, a clinical manager at HealthEast's Bethesda Hospital.
The St. Paul hospital, which provides long-term care for complex brain, respiratory and other injuries, hopes new technology will change that by synthesizing medical data in a way that engages patients in their care.
Bethesda patients now receive the MyChart Bedside app by downloading it to their mobile devices or receiving tablets from the hospital. The app links to their medical records and provides patients with their vital signs, test results, therapies, medications and daily schedules.
"They get to plan their day ahead," Ryan said, "instead of having their day coming at them.''
The app works with Epic software, a leading system for electronic medical records. Bethesda is the second facility in the world to use it hospital-wide.
Patients can use the app to request blankets, water or other nonemergency needs, which saves time because nurses can bring the items to patients in one trip, Ryan said.
