A Mobile App (Concerto) to Empower Hospitalized Patients in a Swiss University Hospital: Development, Design, and...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Patient Empowerment

Background:

• Patient empowerment is linked to improved health outcomes, particularly for chronic disease management.
• Digital health tools offer significant potential to enhance patient empowerment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on the design, development, and implementation of Concerto, a mobile app aimed at fostering patient empowerment within a hospital setting.
• To share lessons learned from the real-world implementation of a patient-empowering mobile application.

Main Methods:

• Concerto was developed using hospital information system (HIS) data, offering features like care schedules, medical information, and team directories.
• The app was implemented on institution-owned tablets across four pilot divisions of a Swiss University Hospital over two years.
• The project involved a feasibility study, prototyping during a hackathon, and securing funding.

Main Results:

• The 2-year project was completed within budget, demonstrating effective implementation in pilot divisions.
• Caregiver workload emerged as a challenge to sustainability, necessitating strategy adjustments.
• Direct patient access to HIS data identified and initiated improvements in data quality and standardization.

Conclusions:

• Implementing patient-empowering mobile apps in hospitals provides valuable insights into user needs and data management.
• Key factors for successful deployment include addressing caregiver workload, providing robust training, and selecting appropriate superusers.
• The study identified a lack of defined "key success" indicators as a limitation.