Technology in A Pandemic: How SingHealth’s MyCare App is Transforming Isolation Care
The spread of COVID-19 has underscored the importance of digital readiness in the healthcare sector, where many healthcare institutions leverage technology to stay ahead of the pandemic curve and deliver quality patient care. Medical technology applications have been deployed to bolster front liners in the fight against the pandemic.
A prime example is the MyCare application. 2359 Media collaborated with SingHealth and the Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS) to develop and pilot this app at selected wards across SingHealth’s institutions. MyCare is available on iPads that are installed by patients’ bedsides, which they can use to view their individual care information, daily care schedule and medical information anytime during their hospital stay. This helps them understand their treatment plans and recovery process so that they are better able to take charge of their own health. It also reinforces traditional face-to-face communication between care teams and patients.
In light of the current COVID-19 situation, iPads with MyCare have also been deployed in some isolation wards at the Singapore General Hospital, which is under the SingHealth cluster.
Key Features
MyCare’s user-friendly features help to enhance patient experience and communication between SingHealth’s care teams and patients. It is especially useful for engaging and communicating with COVID-19 patients who are isolated and have minimal face-to-face interaction.
- Patients can access their medical information which includes their diagnosis, vital signs, prescribed medications and lab test results. They can also view their daily care schedules for medication, meals and ward rounds by the care team.
- Instead of using the call bell, patients can use the interactive messaging function in MyCare to put in requests for items and services such as food and beverage, medication, toileting assistance or housekeeping. This allows the medical team to attend to patients’ requests more efficiently and reduce turnaround time. It also cuts down unnecessary contact between patients and nurses.
- Patient education videos in various languages and dialects that cover a range of care topics, including useful information on COVID-19, are also available for patients’ viewing.
“MyCare has enhanced communication between nurses and patients, especially during this COVID-19 period when we care for patients in isolation wards. MyCare allows us to communicate with them, address any questions they may have and assure them of our care while minimising unnecessary face-to-face contact. For example, patients can ask questions about their care plan or test results anytime using the messaging function on the app, which we can reply to from outside the room. Patients can also view their swab test results on the iPad at their convenience, without having to wait for updates from the medical team.”
– Esther Monica Fan, Assistant Nurse Clinician, Singapore General Hospital
Data Protection
Amidst the fight against COVID-19, there have been reports of hackers targeting hospitals in the United States and Europe to access patient data (Stateline, 2020). This reminds us of the importance of cybersecurity and that we can never let our guard down.
This is why MyCare is equipped with security features that protect patients’ data from the point they are admitted to the hospital until they are discharged. Upon admission, nurses will activate MyCare by scanning patients’ identity tags and confirming their personal details. To safeguard patient confidentiality, patients will be given a unique password that must be entered each time they access MyCare during their stay. They can also set an additional password to ensure further security overviewing of sensitive information such as their diagnosis and test results.
“To protect our patients’ confidentiality, all information is encrypted during data transit from source to destination. Once a patient is discharged, the iPad is defaulted to its original state without storing any patient’s information.” — Patrick Ng, Assistant Director, IHiS.
Using Technology in the Fight against COVID-19
MyCare has been incorporated into existing clinical pathways and flows, streamlining patient support and care in isolation wards as front liners fight against COVID-19. It is efficient, easily accessible, and equipped with security features that ensure the safety of patient data. Here at 2359 Media, we believe in building supportive tech infrastructure with a human-centric and inclusive approach, aptly demonstrated in the MyCare application.
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