Kareo, a cloud-based medical office EHR for independent medical practices is launching an Apple Watch App. The integration of the Apple Watch with Kareo’s EHR streamlines care delivery and enhancing the patient experience by improving communications, reducing patient wait times, and increasing practice efficiency. The Apple Watch App was created in response to the growing demands on physicians to increase their focus on all aspects of patient engagement.
“Physicians are on their feet attending to the needs of patients for the majority of the day, leaving little time to check their schedules and prepare for the next appointment,” said Dr. Tom Giannulli, CMIO of Kareo. “Recognizing this demanding care delivery environment, Kareo’s Apple Watch App will help doctors better manage their schedule while enabling enhanced communication throughout the day, improving their ability to deliver a great patient experience.”
Kareo Apple Watch App Features
Kareo’s Apple Watch App provides the most relevant, practice-oriented information necessary to improve care and increase practice efficiency. All features of Kareo’s Apple Watch App are HIPAA compliant and secure, ensuring all data are private, yet easily accessible. Key functionalities of the App include:
– Secure messaging that allows the user to send, reply, and read messages via dictation. Messages can be sent to staff or patients using Kareo’s secure messaging system, improving overall patient engagement and practice communication.
– An agenda that allows the provider to quickly reference their schedule and see the status of appointments checked-in, no show, late, checked out, etc., helping reduce wait times and improve practice efficiency.
– Appointment reminders that can be sent five minutes before the next scheduled appointment. The notification subtly vibrates the watch, indicating that the doctor has an impending appointment.
– Appointment information that is accessible within a notification or through the agenda, allowing the provider to review details such as the patient’s name, time of appointment, visit type, and reason for the visit.
– “I’m Running Late” pre-set messages that allow the doctor inform other staff members when they are running behind and how much longer they expect to be. This improves practice communication and enables the front desk to give patients a more accurate wait time estimate.
Apple “Glances” that provide a quick overview of key practice metrics, including how many patients are scheduled throughout the day, how many patients are waiting to be seen, and which patients are currently waiting in an exam room.
Kareo’s Apple Watch App will be available for download on the Apple Watch App Store at the end of May.
