Henry Ford Health System and Detroit-based VisionIT today launched CareTrail, a new mobile application designed to improve collaboration between clinicians. CareTrail is a patient-centered, secure mobile communication platform that combines the most popular features from social media without compromising patient privacy.
Using a smartphone or other mobile device, clinicians can engage in real-time communications regarding patient care at any time. The interface was constructed similar to Facebook and Twitter, and allows medical teams to create an individual page for each patient and store entire secure conversations as long as necessary. Information also can be saved with most electronic health records.
“It’s more important than ever for a patient’s care team to have a truly mobile communication tool that’s completely secure and protects our patients’ privacy,” says Dr. Bruce Muma, chief medical officer for the Henry Ford Physician Network. “As a caregiver, I’m truly excited that we finally have the ability to capitalize on the advantages of mobile technology to focus care in a more individualized and efficient way.”
CareTrail was created and developed through a collaboration between Henry Ford Innovations, a division of Henry Ford Health System, and VisionIT, which is based in New Center.
“Our belief is that patient-centric care requires effective communication by the extended care team dedicated to that patient, and we built CareTrail in support of that premise,” says Paul Toenjes, senior vice president of VisionIT. We have plans to extend those capabilities to also address population health, patient monitoring, and patient management. There is much more to come.”
CareTrail is now available to any hospital, health system, homecare agency, or medical group. The tool provides on-call scheduling that lets clinicians know which care team members are currently available, an external invitation feature that allows clinicians to invite other medical professionals to join a patient’s care team, and a designated place for providers to leave instructions for each patient.
CareTrail will be featured on Feb. 20 at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society 2017, held at Microsoft’s Innovation Theatre in Orlando. More information about the application can be found here.
