A Mobile App (Concerto) to Empower Hospitalized Patients in a Swiss University Hospital: Development, Design, and Implementation Report

Abstract

BackgroundPatient empowerment can be associated with better health outcomes, especially in the management of chronic diseases. Digital health has the potential to promote patient empowerment. ObjectiveConcerto is a mobile app designed to promote patient empowerment in an in-patient setting. This implementation report focuses on the lessons learned during its implementation. MethodsThe app was conceptualized and prototyped during a hackathon. Concerto uses hospital information system (HIS) data to offer the following key functionalities: a care schedule, targeted medical information, practical information, information about the on-duty care team, and a medical round preparation module. Funding was obtained following a feasibility study, and the app was developed and implemented in four pilot divisions of a Swiss University Hospital using institution-owned tablets. Implementation (Results)The project lasted for 2 years with effective implementation in the four pilot divisions and was maintained within budget. The induced workload on caregivers impaired project sustainability and warranted a change in our implementation strategy. The presence of a killer function would have facilitated the deployment. Furthermore, our experience is in line with the well-accepted need for both high-quality user training and a suitable selection of superusers. Finally, by presenting HIS data directly to the patient, Concerto highlighted the data that are not fit for purpose and triggered data curation and standardization initiatives. ConclusionsThis implementation report presents a real-world example of designing, developing, and implementing a patient-empowering mobile app in a university hospital in-patient setting with a particular focus on the lessons learned. One limitation of the study is the lack of definition of a “key success” indicator.