Study: Tablet, app use does not improve patient knowledge of care

Supplying patients with tools such as tablets and patient portal apps does not have a great impact on their understanding of their care and treatment, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.  Other pilot programs show other results:

Penn Medicine is using an app and a tablet to cut readmission rates for heart failure patients in its Penn Care at Home program; that effort has sliced congestive heart failure readmission rates by 53 percent, according to an announcement.
Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York is also seeing success with its apps, with one developed for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and another that allows physicians in the Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice to offer consultations using a secure digital connection via smartphones.
However, research published by the Commonwealth Foundation found that while mobile devices providing patient-centered technology actively engage patients in care, evidence of effectiveness in improving health-related outcomes is limited. In addition, "providers have not been able to effectively leverage technology tools" to improve population health and care delivery.
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