Sharp Healthcare, GetWellNetwork Launch Interactive Patient Whiteboard
GetWellNetwork, Inc.®, the leading provider of interactive patient care™ (IPC) solutions, has partnered with Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner Sharp Healthcare, Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, Calif., to launch GetWellNetwork’s Interactive Patient Whiteboard™, the industry’s first collaborative patient whiteboard. This customizable tool transforms the delivery of care at bedside by enabling patients, families and care team members to easily share vital information on everything from the patient’s care plan to his or her medications, daily schedule and other pressing patient concerns.
“The Interactive Patient Whiteboard is going to be an integral component to our staff’s daily workflow and will further enhance the care process,” said Verna Sitzer, MN, RN, CNS, manager, Nursing Innovation and Performance Excellence, Sharp Memorial Hospital. “It will be used to enhance the transfer of information between all of the patient’s caregivers, the patient and the patient’s family.”
“It was beautiful to see the response to this new whiteboard technology when we hosted a tour for visitors from Planetree, which is focused on enabling caregivers to transform the health care experience,” said Susan Stone, Ph.D., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., chief nursing officer, Sharp Memorial Hospital. “We are so pleased with the response of our patients and team members and are grateful for being included in this effort.”
Located at the bedside, the GetWellNetwork Interactive Patient Whiteboard helps improve overall patient satisfaction and quality of care by allowing patients and families to easily share information on care concerns such as:
- Who is taking care of me?
- What is happening today?
- When can I go home?
The Interactive Patient Whiteboard consists of three main areas:
My Team: Identifies care team members, complete with photos and contact information, by integrating with a hospital’s staff scheduling system or by leveraging the Clinician Whiteboard Manager. Care team members can view questions logged by patients and family. Patient interactions and clinician visits are tracked as well.
My Day: Gives patients, families and nursing staff quick access to information needed to understand what the schedule for the day looks like, what needs to be accomplished prior to being discharged and vital information such as allergies, risks, restrictions and pain level assessments. All of this information is broken down into three key sections – patient schedule, discharge plan and clinician notes.
About Me: Gives patients the ability to personalize their care environment by allowing them to select profile images, keep a journal and create links to their favorite websites. In addition, family members and friends can leave notes for a patient who is sleeping or is away from the room. A patient can also input important contact information, e.g., Durable Power of Attorney or family spokesperson that clinicians can view both at the bedside and in the Clinician Whiteboard Manager.
“Working alongside our patient, family and clinician users to understand their needs, the changing healthcare landscape and the resulting impact on patient care continues to drive successful product innovation and delivery for our company,” said Michael O’Neil, founder and chief executive officer of GetWellNetwork. “While we’re excited to be first to market with the Interactive Patient Whiteboard, the most rewarding part is increasing communication and creating a better healing experience for patients, their families and caregivers.”
The design and development of the Interactive Patient Whiteboard is the culmination of research, input and guidance by the GetWellNetwork Interactive Patient Whiteboard Hospital Task Force. The task force included members from more than 15 facilities and multiple disciplines focused on providing direction and insight into the current and ongoing development of the product. Facilities on the task force include: Celebration Health, Chandler Regional Medical Center, Henry Ford Medical Center-West Bloomfield, Kishwaukee Community Hospital, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospitaland Village at Pelham Hospital.
Sharp, in collaboration with numerous departments at the hospital, is committed to working with GetWellNetwork over the next year to further enhance the Interactive Patient Whiteboard.