Newswise — Porter Adventist and Littleton Adventist hospitals have been selected to pilot a new iTriage® feature that allows hospital emergency staff to be further prepared to meet the needs of incoming patients.
The two hospitals, which are part of the Centura Health network of care, are the first in Colorado and first in the nation to implement this new smartphone feature for patients.
“Littleton and Porter are proud to be the first hospitals in this area and throughout the U.S. to pilot this revolutionary program,” said Randy Haffner, Porter CEO and president of the Centura Health South Denver Operating Group. “By allowing our patients to tell us that they are coming, and to relay what medical needs and conditions to expect, we provide a patient experience that far exceeds community expectations.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the demand for emergency services in the U.S. has been on the rise since 1996. With higher patient volume, those needing emergency care are finding overcrowded ERs and longer wait times. By using the “Tell us you’re coming” feature, these two local hospitals have taken steps to streamline the intake process for emergency patients, improve the ER patient flow process, and provide mobile ways for patients to notify the hospitals of specific medical needs in advance.
iTriage – a free, consumer-based healthcare application, developed by Lakewood-based Healthagen®, is piloting the new feature with these two hospitals to roll out the cutting-edge program. Now, patients can use their smartphones to:
• Save time by filling out the intake information on their way into the hospital, which facilitates the registration process• Notify emergency staff that an extended-sized wheelchair will be needed for patient unloading• Inform staff that the incoming patient has allergies or other special medical needs
Now, when a consumer uses the iTriage application to locate Porter Adventist or Littleton Adventist hospitals, the user will have the option to click “Tell Us You’re Coming” from the provider search or deep view pages in which the hospital facilities are highlighted. From there, the patient will fill out a form which mimics the actual emergency department document that asks for specifics like name, phone number, allergies, symptoms experienced, gender, age and anything else helpful for ER staff to know prior to arrival.
“As a healthcare app that aggregates symptom, disease, procedure and provider information, iTriage is helping empower consumers with their healthcare needs,” said Peter Hudson, MD, CEO, Healthagen. “Littleton and Porter Adventist hospitals are leading the charge in providing patients with expedited care and unmatched mobile access.”
Attention reporters and editors: Dr. Ahmed Stowers, emergency physician, is available for interviews today to demonstrate the iTriage feature and discuss this pilot project.
About Centura Health Centura Health is Colorado’s largest hospital and health care network and we are charting the course for the future of health care. Approximately 14,500 of the health care industry’s best and brightest, including more than 6,000 physician partners, deliver advanced care to more than half a million people each year, across 13 hospitals, seven senior living communities, medical clinics, affiliated partner hospitals, Flight For Life® Colorado, and home care and hospice services. Our strength lies in our ability to offer a team of connected networks and shared resources to deliver accessible, reliable and cost-effective health care across the state. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit www.centura.org.
About HealthagenHealthagen, a privately held company headquartered in Lakewood, CO, is a global developer of healthcare information software that empowers patients to make better decisions. Co-founded by two practicing emergency physicians, Drs. Peter Hudson and Wayne Guerra, the company's flagship Web and mobile product iTriage has been downloaded and used millions of times by healthcare consumers around the globe, generating tens of millions of medical searches and self-assessments. In addition, hundreds of medical providers and thousands of physicians have partnered with iTriage to provide patients with critical information about their facilities and medical practices, making it more efficient for patients to access the healthcare system. For more information about Healthagen and iTriage, please visit www.Healthagen.com.
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