Cambridge Memorial pilots new app for new parents

Program could be expanded to hip and knee patients

CAMBRIDGE — New parents heading home from Cambridge Memorial Hospital can now easily find answers to their questions or concerns right on their phone. “We’re hoping it’s going to make caring for their new family a little easier,” said Gillian Dyck, patient experience lead at the Cambridge hospital. The CoHealth (formerly Dash MD) app gives obstetrics patients free access to aftercare information and links to local resources. Cambridge Memorial is the first hospital in the region to launch the app for one of its programs. Work is underway to expand it to other programs and hospitals, following the app developer receiving $250,000 from the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network in the spring to create a local version. “It’s a patient-focused app,” Dyck said. Cambridge Memorial chose to launch the pilot project with the women and children’s program because the care after delivery is relatively straightforward and that age group is tech savvy. “We knew this would be something they were interested in,” Dyck said. Before, the hospital would send patients home with printed information. But that’s not the best format for new parents who have their hands full, literally. A mom can go on the app while breastfeeding, using the handy search option to find what she’s looking for with just one hand. “Much easier than trying to look through a pile of papers,” Dyck said. The hospital wants to expand the app to other programs and is now looking at hip and knee surgery as well as rehabilitation. “We’re looking to roll this out eventually to the entire hospital,” Dyck said. She said incorporating new technology into health care can be a challenge, but the app is easier because it doesn’t connect to the hospital system and is managed by the patient. “It’s just providing information that we were already providing to patients.” There’s also general hospital information, such as parking, how to get to the hospital and find your way around, and what to bring for surgery. The app also includes a five-question survey asking about the patient’s experience at the hospital, giving administrators nearly real-time feedback when normally there’s a lag. “It really allows us to have more fulsome conversations and really understand how we’re doing,” Dyck said. Co-founders of the Toronto-based app studied at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.