Apple highlights how its ecosystem is ‘transforming patient care’ at Emory Hillandale Hospital

In a new feature story on its Newsroom today, Apple showcases how iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches are being used by doctors and nurses at one of Georgia’s largest health systems. And while the piece suffers from a chronic case of PR-speak, the project is pretty interesting nonetheless.

In what Apple calls a first-of-its-kind deployment, Emory Healthcare has fully embraced the Apple ecosystem to transform how care is delivered at its 100-bed Hillandale Hospital.

Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches are now in daily use by care teams across the hospital, running a suite of healthcare apps made by Epic Systems.

In practice, this means every nurse and doctor gets an iPhone. iPads mounted outside patient rooms show real-time care info. Lab alerts land directly on doctors’ wrists. And every patient bed is outfitted with an iPad, on which they check their records, order meals, message their care team, and follow their treatment plans.

As Dr. Rashida La Barrie explains:

I can stay up to date with my patients in a way that wasn’t possible before. (…)
Healthcare has historically been slow to adopt technology, which I think is such a mistake.

Dr. Ravi Thandani, executive vice-president for health affairs of Emory University, agrees:

We’re not just changing technology, we’re changing a culture. (…) This is a new model for what patient-first, tech-enabled care can look like.

Cutting complexity

Apple says its devices are improving workflows, reducing administrative burdens, and ultimately enabling more… well, face time with patients.

Dr. Vikram Narayan, a urologic oncologist at Emory, says the new tools are making a dent in the industry’s burnout crisis. His research shows that using Apple devices with Epic and Abridge’s ambient documentation tools saves him an average of two hours per day:

Healthcare is complex. (…) But modern, well-integrated tools reduce that complexity for clinicians. It’s what we need.

Nurses are seeing the same gains. Faster login times, easier documentation, and clearer Retina displays on the iMacs have led to higher satisfaction and stronger nurse retention. “This has changed the way we engage patients,” says Edna Brisco, Emory Hillandale’s chief nursing officer.

Are you a health professional? How do you use tech products and ecosystems to care for your patients? Let us know in the comments.