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Putting simple but innovative technologies in the hands of patients with complex care needs may lead to better health outcomes, according to new research from an innovation scientist. It can be as simple as a mobile app, says Dr. Carolyn Steele Gray, a Scientist at Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, part of the LunenfeldTanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health System. Dr. Steele Gray studies ways to use digital technologies to improve care for individuals with several chronic illnesses — an area of focus at Sinai Health. She has been developing and testing a phone app and web portal that helps providers and patients work together to set care plans based on patients’ own personal health goals. Primary care doctors, allied health professionals, patients and families can collaboratively monitor the process and tailor care delivery to patient priorities — a very different approach from the traditional model of care. “Rather than a provider saying to a patient with five or six chronic conditions, ‘Let’s tightly manage all of those things,’ the patient comes in and says, ‘I want to get out to my social events more often,’ or ‘I want to walk my dog,’ and then the care plan gets focused on that,” explains Dr. Steele Gray. The technology helps patients track progress; for instance, for a patient whose goal is to golf three times a week, the app will ask, “How was your pain when you went golfing today?” and “How many steps did you take?” Patients check off completed tasks and receive virtual badges. The tool, called ePRO — electronic Patient Reported Outcomes — gives doctors a wealth of data.
How was your pain when you went golfing today? In an exploratory four-month trial with 16 patients in two sites, the researchers found that as patients focused on their own personal goals, their general health improved too, including lower blood pressure, healthier weight and better sleep. “A lot of health indicators were improving Dr. Carolyn Steele Gray 14
