Think back to doctor’s appointments when you were a kid or when your kids were young.
A parent would call the doctor’s office for an appointment, load their sick child into the car along with their well children (hoping they wouldn’t get sick, too) and drive them to the doctor’s office. The child would get an exam and if he or she needed a prescription, the parent would have to take all the kids into the pharmacy, drop off the paper prescription and load them up in the car again, only to have to do it all over again when the prescription was ready for pickup.
Now, scheduling appointments and virtual visits can all be done with a smart phone or computer without leaving home via apps like MyChart, a digital platform used by Franciscan Alliance since 2019. Check-in and questionnaires can be completed online, prescriptions are sent to pharmacies digitally and are often ready for pick up through a drive-through window or sent via a delivery service to the home.
After the appointment, the doctor’s notes and instructions are also available for patients and their dependents online. Even bill payment can be made online or within the app.
Digital health is rapidly transforming the way patients experience and access healthcare, at all stages of life. Investments in state-of-the-art technologies have allowed Franciscan Alliance to meet the changing needs of our patients while remaining true to our more than 145-year healthcare ministry’s mission of continuing Christ’s ministry in our Franciscan tradition.
I’m proud to lead Franciscan Alliance’s team of digital virtual innovation and thought leaders, who consistently work to keep our healthcare ministry on the cutting edge of digital healthcare. While the technological advancements in the digital health realm are exciting, keeping the patient and their family at the center of care remains key.
One example of how Franciscan does that is with AngelEye cameras, which are available in many of our neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The system allows parents and family members to log in to a secure system to see their babies via live stream video. The system eases the stress of being away from the baby and provides peace of mind for the family.
Franciscan’s Home Health services have a robust connected technology platform that allows patients to stay in their homes longer and more safely while being monitored by healthcare professionals. Receiving compassionate care in familiar surroundings can decrease anxiety for patients while enhancing their quality of life, particularly as they age.
Remote patient monitoring is also allowing Franciscan patients to return home sooner after hospitalization. Eligible patients are given a kit to monitor their health along with clinical support to empower recovery, often with home health or rehab visits. The program, dubbed Hospital at Home, was born during the COVID pandemic and has been adapted to other uses as well.
While these types of technologies are making healthcare more accessible for patients in more comfortable settings, it’s important they feel confident and safe using these tools and technologies. Franciscan works diligently with our own systems and those of our partners to ensure patient data remains safe and secure.
As digital health moves forward, Franciscan stands at the ready to provide the latest innovations coupled with patient-centric, compassionate care wherever our patients may be.
Charles Wagner is the chief information officer and senior vice president of information services for Franciscan Alliance. The opinions are his own.
