The Mayo Clinic app, what every patient app should be
In 2012 Mayo Clinic launched their first medical app for patients.
the app is meant to empower patients and “aligns with Mayo’s mission of trying to make our services accessible and affordable.” — Dr. Sidna Tulledge-Scheitel associate dean of e-health and medical director of Institutional Business Solutions of Mayo
In 2014 Mayo Clinic released an update to their patient app.
Users of the new Mayo Clinic app will have easier access to health information, guidance, and care when they need it most, — John Wald, M.D., Mayo’s medical director of public affairs (venture beat article 2014)
Also, in 2014, Mayo Clinic provided an integration between their app and Apple’s Healthkit app.
This is a big step towards an inevitable future where patients are in control of their entire health history and are able to access it at any time. The challenge, of course, is in keeping it all safe. — Mike Wehner regarding the integration of the Mayo Clinic app and Apple’s HealthKit (engadget article 2014)
Today marks the exact 4 year anniversary of the first Mayo Clinic app. Mayo’s app remains the leader in patient services apps. This is worth highlighting, since Mayo demonstrates the kind of service other healthcare providers should also be offering their patients. The amount of information Mayo’s app offers patients about their records, appointments and diagnosis, should be what every patient receives from their medical practitioner. But it is not.
I’ve spent the last 2 years meeting with different doctors to diagnose the cause of a declining health condition. Throughout those visits, I had to take notes on my phone or pad of paper and follow up with medical administrative offices to get all the documents and paperwork pertaining to my condition. Some doctors didn’t have any reports to share with me or made it incredibly challenging for me to get them.
I’ve received more information and detailed documentation about my condition after a few months of phone calls and one week of in-person visits at the Mayo Clinic, than provided to me by all other physicians combined. While I’m extremely grateful for being seen at the Mayo Clinic, I don’t think other medical centers should be so unpolished with their practices. I want to find ways to bring the Mayo Clinic’s practices to other medical institutions.
Their app is just one demonstration of the thoughtful attention the Mayo Clinic gives their patients. The app only scratches the surface of the superior quality Mayo Clinic delivers through their medical services. By reviewing the app, I hope others in the medical field will be inspired to create a similar offering for their patients.
Here’s what the Mayo Clinic app offers.
On- site visit resources
As a patient visiting the Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN location, I only needed my app to know all the details of my appointments. The app included helpful maps guiding me to the office where my appointments took place. The app listed of my appointments, informed me of who my doctor were going to be and all other details for with each visit.
Transparency
After each visit the app updated with the data from my lab tests and notes from my doctor’s analysis of my exams. The doctor’s notes are detailed and helpful for keeping track of what is discovered, each step of the way. This alone is beyond the access I’ve had to my medical records from other health providers.
Usability
To log into the app, I can use my finger print, which saves me from memorizing a password and protects me from having others log into my account. The navigation is simple, using everyday words instead of complicated medical jargon. I don’t get lost or frustrated while navigating around.
Reliability
Every time an appointment is changed or new test results are available, they are added to the app. I can trust the app to have all the information I need about my current condition at any moment. (Once, I stood in front of a nurse at my doctor’s main desk while she changed my appointment schedule and instantaneously my app appointment schedule updated.)
Additional benefits
In addition to personal information, I can also check out tools and guides for taking care of my health. This is an added bonus for those interested in preventative and homeopathic care.
Patient services beyond the app
The Mayo Clinic online browser login offers patients the same accessibility to their health documents. It appears that app and browser versions provide identical information and communicate with each other. Even if you don’t own a smart phone or your own computer, you can go to a local public library and login to your account for all the same information.
On a larger scale of importance
The Mayo app supports the Affordable Care Act. The 2010 Affordable Care Act includes 10 sections. The following section titles are those most closely supported by the Mayo Clinic app.
Title 3: Improving the quality and efficiency of health care.
Title 4: Prevention of chronic disease and improving public health
Title 6: Transparency and program integrity
Why the app
I think all medical centers should provide the same level of accessible, organized and detailed information for their patients as the Mayo Clinic. You should not have to go to one of the top institutions in the United States to be treated this way. The Affordable Care Act is helping take us in this direction and I hope more medical institutions get on board sooner than later.
As a patient, my health is my top priority. Visiting my doctor helps me gather the resources and knowledge I need to understand and treat my condition. But it can be hard to keep track of all the information a doctor tells me or to organize all my test results in a way that makes sense. The Mayo Clinic app does all this for me. A challenging medical condition alone can be confusing, why not make the information about the condition clear and less stressful to track.
At Mayo in Rochester, MN the app was like having a personal guide walk me through the medical appointment maze. That might sound silly or dramatic but it really was that helpful. Think of what medical appointments and treatments would be like if it was this easy and stress free.
