Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1028549
22 PATIENT EXPERIENCE Geisinger, Merck roll out patient communication tools By Julie Spitzer D anville, Pa.-based Geisinger and drugmaker Merck unveiled two new tools for patients and caregivers Aug. 15. One of the applications, Family Caregiver, facilitates commu- nication between patients and clinicians to improve care coordination. It features a calendar for tracking appointments, a patient-managed medication scheduler and a journal tool for patients to record thoughts during each healthcare encounter. e other app, MedTrue, integrates prescription data from various national sources to improve medication reconciliation and adherence. Both applications — which were developed under an ongoing collab- oration — are embedded within the EMR and providers' workflows to enable greater use of clinical and patient-generated data during appointments. e applications are built to abide by the "Substitutable Medical Ap- plications, Reusable Technologies" guidelines available under the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources framework, an open platform for sharing data among disparate EMRs. Geisinger's system is testing the tools prior to their official launch, and the collaborators are conducting studies on the tools' real-world effectiveness. "Providing these tools for patients and family caregivers — test- ed within our own system — enables patients to be more active in healthcare decisions and could increase the likelihood that patients will adhere to their treatment plans and lead healthier lives," David Ledbetter, PhD, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of Geisinger, said in a news release. n Boston Children's adds AI health assistant to website By Jessica Kim Cohen B oston Children's Hospital entered into a partnership with Buoy Health, the health technology startup confirmed Aug. 8. The agreement establishes Boston Children's Hospital as Buoy's first innovation partner. Buoy offers an online health assistant tool to help patients assess their health concerns, leveraging artificial intelligence to triage patients with simple symptoms — such as fever, cough or rash — to the appropriate care setting. Under the partnership, Boston Children's Hospi- tal will offer access to Buoy's AI health assistant on its website, so parents across the globe can access the tool for their children's care. Since the tool uses machine learning, a type of AI in which a computer learns over time, Buoy will be able to continue to refine its algorithm as it's used on the website. "Deep pediatric expertise is concentrated in relatively few places, yet kids are cared for around the world," Jean Mixer, vice president of digital health at Boston Children's Hospital, said in a news release. "Digital tools like Buoy allow Boston Children's to share our pediatric expertise global- ly, making it accessible right at people's fingertips and helping to make more informed decisions." n How MetroHealth helps trauma patients by partnering with churches By Megan Knowles C leveland-based MetroHealth Medical Center is teaming up with local churches to provide care for trauma patients after discharge in an effort to learn more about these patients' backgrounds and where they go after the hospital, News 5 Cleveland reported. The Rev. Tony Minor is leading the program and working with community faith leaders. The churches will get referrals from the hospital to contact patients, providing support and encourage- ment for them, Mr. Minor said. "One person, one family, one block at a time," Mr. Minor said. "They'll be there to sort of pick up where the hospital left off." Trained church leaders will assist with taking patients to medical appointments, providing child care and giving them access to jobs and mental health profes- sionals. The partnership aims to end the cycle of violence and generational trauma in neighborhoods. "We can't just focus on the healing of the physical body," Mr. Minor said. "It's about healing a person, but also healing the community." MetroHealth professionals are training church lead- ers, and a pilot program is expected to be launched this fall. n