Dignity Health using app to keep coronavirus patients connected

PHOENIX — Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center is using an innovative mobile app to keep patients connected with their loved ones while also sharing their health status from their medical team during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is a virtual solution to these temporary hospital visitor restrictions,” senior director of advanced practice nursing at Dignity Health St. Joesph’s hospital Virgina Prendergast told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday.

The Medical Memory app is a HIPAA compliant mobile application that allows health care providers to record medical-related conversations with patients that can then be shared with their support system outside of the hospital.

“When a doctor, nurse or therapist enters the room and talks to a patient or maybe they’re teaching the patient something that is important for them to do – that’s a one time event,” Predengerast added.

“Frequently, patients are a little bit nervous when providers come in the room or they might not remember everything that was said and they might not be able to communicate it to their loved ones.”

The innovative technology included in the app allows the video of the doctor inside the patients room to be re-watched time and time again.

The app also has the ability to share that video with whoever the patient would like.

“People who receive the video can watch it time after time after time, and we know that when people hear a message or they’re learning something new – the more times they hear it then the better equipped they are to go ahead and practice those changes,” Predengerast said.

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