New tool helps patients retain information through emergency room visits

A research team at the IWK Health Centre is testing a new digital tool to assist patients in the high-stress environment of an emergency department.

The digital tool is known as “ED-Patch,” which stands for Emergency Department Patient Activated Transition to Care at Home.

According to a release, the tool was developed to help patients and caregivers take an active role in documenting their visit. Using a smartphone or tablet, patients can track key details about their emergency care experience by taking notes about their symptoms, tests and procedures, among other things.

Once completed, a healthcare provider reviews and confirms the summary. It is then emailed to the patient or caregiver, giving them an accessible record of their visit that can be referred to later at home with a medical professional.

“Tools and strategies to support discharge communication in emergency practice settings have typically been developed by individuals who are not directly involved in delivering frontline care to patients, families, and caregivers,” says Dr. Janet Curran, ED-PATCH Principal Investigator, Quality and Patient Safety Research Chair, Professor, School of Nursing, Dalhousie University,” And rarely if ever, have patients or caregivers been involved in developing such tools.”

According to the IWK, research has shown that the fast pace of emergency care can make it a challenge for patients and families to remember what was discussed or what actions they need to take once they leave the hospital, and the ED Patch aims to fix this problem by improving memory retention.

The hospital says that early indications suggest patients and caregivers appreciate the sense of clarity and control.

“ED-PATCH was co-developed in partnership with patients, caregivers and frontline ED providers and is grounded in a strong body of evidence,” Curran said.