Patients at the UC San Diego Health facility can use the device to access their medical records, dim the lights, or watch movies.
When Jacobs Medical Center medical center opens later this year, patients at the 245-bed facility at UC San Diego Health will find an iPad and Apple TV in their room.
The goal of the initiative is to streamline communications and improve patients' healthcare experience, according to UC San Diego Health and officials from Jamf, a Minneapolis-based Apple device management company that is partnering with the facility on the project.
Patients will use the iPad as the control center of their hospital room, according to a recent news release. This control center will allow patients to:
- Securely access personal medical information and educational materials via Epic's MyChart Bedside app.
- Control their TV and room settings such as lights and blinds.
- View movies, games, and other entertainment options.
- Connect to family and friends using FaceTime, Skype, or other social apps.
- Customize their device and apps without having to enter an Apple ID or password.
Hospitals Rev Mobile Patient Engagement
To protect patient data, the Jamf Pro program will automatically delete patient data from each iPad as soon as the patient is discharged, and will remotely prepare it for the next patient. The facility's IT department won't have to physically touch the device, which will save time.
UC San Diego Health evaluated other devices, but they required a manual reset. "This process took 15-20 minutes per device each time we needed to prepare a device for the next patient," said Marc Sylwestrzak, director of IS experience and web services for UC San Diego Health.
The program communicates with the EHR system already in place at UC San Diego Health, coordinating iPad management with patient records and ensuring that HIPAA is protected at all times, according to the release.