Imagine: one day you’re well, going about activities as always, and then something happens to change your life forever. We see it everyday. In this case, it’s crushing chest pain, shortness of breath: a heart attack. Now ask yourself: How will this change the way you live tomorrow? Are you prepared to make those changes?
Those of us in healthcare may consider ourselves well prepared. But really, these events change everything- our daily routines, up-ended. After a heart attack, most people are not at all well prepared for hospital discharge, and recuperation and healthy living requires a lot of learning. How do we currently prepare our patients? Education, communication and discharge planning is typically fragmented, delivered late and not really understood. Much of the time, the most important lessons may be delivered by a hustled and harried intern, following bullet-points on paper.
Recognizing an opportunity to educate and coordinate better care, Dr. Francoise Marvel envisioned a better system: one that involves modern-age, usable mobile health tools; one that provides ‘interactive’ features and reminders; and, unlike many tools that can be downloaded through an App store, one that can be deployed in concert with JHU care, with introductions occurring while in the hospital on day one!
The concept evolved. A team emerged. After JHU business development made the right connections with Apple, the global leader in consumer-facing design, the team traveled to Cupertino and worked through prototypes. Now, Corrie is a CareKit app connected with the Apple Watch. An IRB approved (MiCORE study) launched at JHH and JHBMC in September. Dr. Marvel and faculty mentor, Seth Martin, are preparing to change the way we coordinate outpatient cardiac care.
Want to learn more about making Apps? Join InCMed for lunch and learn: “What’s Appening” on October 18, noon–1 p.m. in the Zayed Chevy Chase Auditorium (2119).
-Kieren Marr, Associate Vice Chair for Innovation and Commercialization (InCMed)
