Kootenai Health is seeing improvements in patient education, engagement and satisfaction rates since replacing dry-erase boards with customizable, digital whiteboards. GetWellNetwork’s Interactive Patient Whiteboard™ is helping patients take a more active role in their health care and strengthening a culture of engagement throughout the hospital system.
The full-service medical center wanted an interactive communication solution that would help strengthen patient-caregiver connection, communicate information in real time, and enhance the patient-centered experience.
For years, communication with patients using traditional whiteboards was challenging. Information was often incomplete, inconsistent, illegible or not current. Medical record documentation had to be completed separately. Wanting to refocus, they set out to find a standardized interactive tool concentrated on the patient experience.
89%
Average Utilization
6%
First-Year Increase
80%
Of Nurses Use Regularly
Patient-Centered Experiences
Moving from an isolated exchange of facts to an interactive dialogue at the bedside put patients front and center. Now, information is organized under three categories on a customized dashboard so they can readily see what matters most to them.
Having this information at their fingertips gives patients a sense of control. Simply seeing the names and photos of their care team, or being able to ask a question through the system, fosters an immediate personal connection.
Streamlined Care Delivery & Increased Productivity
The tool positively impacts nurse-to-patient communications, quality of care and efficiency gains thanks to the depth of information that can be shared.
Care team members are confidently prepared each time they enter a patient’s room – Clinicians review health data, update patient itineraries, add items to the care plan or address patient-logged questions from the GetWellNetwork Management Console.
Discharge planning is enhanced from the point of admission – Visibility into care plans makes it easy to keep patients informed about health care goals and expectations.
Shift transitions are smoother – Coordinated information is readily shareable and patients engage in the process at end-of-shift handoffs.
Description: hospital with additional outpatient practices
Location: Idaho
Size: 299 beds
Admissions: 14.5K annually
Services: 25 specialties
Relationship: live with GetWell Inpatient since 2016
Traditional whiteboards on a wall were more of a tool for staff to communicate with each other. GetWellNetwork’s Interactive Patient Whiteboard turns the focus back to patients and allows them to connect with their caregivers.”
Derek Anderson, MA, BSN, RN, Ortho Neuro Nursing Manager, Kootenai Health