One trend that emerged while researching MobiHealthNews' most recent report, 205 Hospital-branded apps for patients, was that children's hospitals are far and away the most creative and ambitious of healthcare providers in the United States using mobile apps for patient engagement.
Of the more than 200 apps now available in appstores from hospitals for patients, about 17 percent come from a children's hospital. That's 34 apps.
Apps from children's hospitals sometimes mirrored offerings from any other institution -- trackers, locations, directories, and so on. More often than not, however, children's hospital apps were more fun and creative. Clearly a larger percentage of this group's patient population is likely to be engaged by games than those who are a part of an older patient population. Still, other healthcare facilities looking to apps as a patient engagement tool need to pay attention to what children's hospitals are doing. They might learn quite a bit.
To help illustrate the type of apps that children's hospitals are currently offering their patients, MobiHealthNews has put together the slideshow below, which includes a sampling of just 10 of those 34 children's hospital apps we include in our recent research report. To read more about these and all of the other patient-facing apps developed by hospitals, be sure to buy your copy of our hospital apps report in the MobiHealthNews Research Store.
Check out our slideshow below:
Burn Journey by Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, IN
The burn center at the hospital teamed up with the Child Life Program to develop this app. It aims to help kids learn about bandage changes and the operating room experience by familiarizing them with the the places, procedures, people and equipment they might encounter while at the hospital. The app also includes some games.
MyWay by Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA
This app bills itself as a personal guide to the facility, but it really shines when it comes to navigating patients to and around the hospital. The app also offers up a long list of features that are common to many hospital apps for patients, like find-a-doctor, appointment scheduling, hours of operation, and information on nearby restaurants. The app also grants access to the hospital's patient portal where parents can review and manage appointments, securely message clinicians and view health records and lab results.
Poison Control Game by Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, KY
This simple, quirky game shows two images of unlabeled containers or pill-like objects and asks kids playing the game to identify which of the two images is either poisonous or medication before revealing what it is exactly with its original label. While one session of the game only lasts for about a half dozen questions, you can play again and new images are mixed in.
Car Seat Helper by Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix, AZ
As any parent knows, picking out car seats and ensuring they are installed correctly is one of the safety related issues that come up again and again throughout a pregnancy. This apps aims to help expectant parents choose the right seat for a child's age, height and weight as well as find local resources to learn how to install a car seat. The app also claims to have surprising facts and videos about car seats.
Keep Spriggy Safe by Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI
This fun app is a game for kids that tries to help them better understand common safety hazards around the average home and how best to avoid them. The player's job is to "keep Spriggy safe, happy and healthy by answering the safety questions correctly." Correct answers earn points that allow Spriggy to bounce higher and collect more coins. The player also needs to ensure Spriggy stays away from any safety hazards as he bounces around the house collecting coins.
Mott Story Builder by C.S. Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI
This unusual app helps patients share their experience at the hospital with Mott Children’s Hospital and the doctors "who have changed [their] life in a fun and family friendly way." The hospital says that the stories empower and inspire others who might be going through other, similar situations. The app gives users various tools to tell their story, including pictures, video, and artwork.
Return2Play by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI
This app, co-developed by the Pediatric Trauma Program at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Michigan NeuroSport, is a concussion recovery journaling app. It aims to help patients track their activities and symptoms and more easily share that information with their care team.
ScripteRx by Miami Children's Hospital in Miami, FL
This app is focused on medication adherence and treatment plans. It's meant to help children and their family members remember "doctor's orders" and also take their prescriptions. This is specifically meant for parents, teenagers, and older kids.
Simply Sayin' by Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix, AZ
This is a well-named, unique app that that looks to tackle medical jargon that providers use around their young patients. Since the jargon often overwhelms kids, this app leverages pictures, sounds and a child-friendly glossary of terms to help make those conversations clearer.
