CMSA Today - Issue 3, 2015 - (Page 19)

Smartphone & Tablet Applications Applications as Credible Tools Embracing Technologies to Help Patients be Better Health Care Consumers BY NANCY SKINNER, RN, CCM "I venture to say that almost everyone reading this article uses a smart phone." use of technology, which is something we rarely consider. With this explosion in the use of technology, the time has come to move away from a reliance on printed resources for our patients and embrace the technologies that might assist those patients to be more engaged health care consumers. Websites that address health issues pervade the Internet. Many of us have sites we use every day and may even suggest them to members of the patient populations we serve. But, few of us routinely offer information regarding mobile applications to those same patients. Maybe we do not consider smart phones to be a credible tool for our patients, or maybe we do not know which applications offer value. Perhaps we are concerned regarding the usability of these resources. No matter the reason we do not use them today, be assured we will be using them in the future. Here are just a few mobile apps that you might find useful today: A s a case manager, technology was once my worst enemy; however, the benefits derived from technologic innovations have now become a necessary and valued tool of my practice. As a new case manager, my world was pen and paper - paper charts, large files, and a never-ending search for information. Paper was ultimately replaced with a computer that I was slow to learn, but over time, became a vital component of every workday. Today, technology has extended beyond computers to include tablets, smart phones, and mobile applications that assist my patients and me in moving closer to achieving their established health care goals. I venture to say that almost everyone reading this article uses a smart phone. Yet, how many of us believe the patient populations we serve are "tech savvy" and consistently connected to technological resources? Recent studies indicate that 90 percent of Americans own a cell phone and 65 percent use smart phones. These numbers reflect our patients' PATIENT ADHERENCE In 2004, CMSA took the first steps in developing tools to assist patients to adhere to prescribed treatment plans. These Case Management Adherence Guidelines (CMAG) utilized motivational interviewing and other strategies to foster health behavioral change and the patient's knowledge of and ability to follow prescribed treatment maps including medication regimes. Diseasespecific CMAG programs include: diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, pain, and breast cancer. Issue 3 * 2015 * DIGITAL CMSA TODAY 19

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CMSA Today - Issue 3, 2015

PRESIDENT’S LETTER: Technology Is Here to Stay
ASSOCIATION NEWS
CMSA CORPORATE PARTNERS
Improved Collection and Access
Clinical Trials
Applications as Credible Tools
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

CMSA Today - Issue 3, 2015