McLaren Northern Michigan Foundation recently purchased and distributed 16 new iPads to 13 patient care departments at McLaren Northern Michigan for patient education. The iPads will be used in conjunction with existing patient education materials such as brochures and pamphlets.
“In the ever changing health care environment, having the iPad technology helps us keep our patients and colleagues up-to-date with the most current medical information. We are grateful to the Foundation donors who have made it possible for us to roll out this new learning tool to help improve patient experience and care,” said Jennifer Woods, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at McLaren Northern Michigan.
Each iPad is pre-loaded with pertinent videos and information related to specific patient conditions and concerns. The education may cover discharge instructions, information about medications, or recovery guidelines. “There is a lot of research available that demonstrates how advances in technology support patient education,” said Abby Blaskowski, RN, and Clinical Education Specialist at McLaren Northern Michigan. “The iPads will not replace existing patient education materials, rather, they are another tool in the toolkit to allow the nurse to start the education process right at admission, instead of at discharge,” she said.
Each department chose appropriate education materials to be included in the iPad content, including crutch training, diabetes education, patient advocacy, and education on particular procedures and tests. The iPads provide consistency in training, ensuring that all patients receive the same information and recommendations pertaining to their specific conditions. In any given day, up to 60 patients may use the iPads as a way to view their patient education.
Stacey Forbes, RN, BSN, said, “The iPads are a wonderful addition to our patient education. As we all know, everyone learns differently, and the iPads help accommodate those differences.”
McLarenNorthern Michigan is the first McLaren subsidiary to implement this iPad project.