Wanted to share my experience with the new Phreesia Tablet. I'm doing an EMR go-live this week and the Dr. at this site in Plant City Florida, was contacted via a postcard mailer to try the Phreesia tablets. They are pretty cool Tablets that allow the patient to enter their medical data into a question and answer software. These Tablets are provided free of cost from Phreesia. They are supported by ads that the patient can watch after they are done entering their data. The tablet has a card reader built in. You may be able to see it on the right side of the tablet. They received two identical units that the Dr. configured and set up on his network. They are wireless and come with a wireless router you install in your network and software you place on a PC on your network. That software allows you to review and configure the application on the tablets.
Configuration is setup of the questionnaire which is basic patient history like allergies, past medical, Family History, Demographics, Insurance info, Social History, Medications, Review of systems, and a chief complaint you can pick from a list of most common complaints. Not sure if you can customize any templates or chief complaints. The patient swipes their credit card in the reader and it reads their information and provides a name. (Or they can type the name) Then they are asked for a Date of birth and a pin like the last 4 of your social security number. They are asked gender, demographics, etc. and the interview proceeds with the user touching buttons on the tablet or using a stylus to click through. After the interview the patient is shown an ad from the sponsor of the day. They can skip this ad and then get patient education provided which is linked to the chief complaint they entered earlier. If they had Headaches, it lists patient education on headaches, if they also entered High Blood pressure as an additional complaint, it provides that also. Pretty neat and gives the patient something to do and information to read prior to the visit.
The practice then either prints a PDF of the data or gets a CCR download. This looks like a good first step and is a great idea for practices with no kiosk, patient portal or waiting room kiosk like a Galvanon (which is expensive I hear)
A few draw backs I have noted.
- The data is in text format and not "codified" so it's not discreet data yet.
- The patients have had some resistance in using this each visit new and follow up.
- The patient portion and the MA data entry time is longer than an MA interview while entering data.
- The Medications do not contain dosages etc for a script.
- They do not read Driver's Licenses yet.
- Specific Complaints do not trigger special interviews geared toward those complaints.
- The data does not interface to an EMR at this time.
- The only data exchange is via a CCR record which has no standards yet.
Some Benefits
- It is really cool technology to have!
- It gets patients in the mode of using a wireless device to enter their own data
- Easy to use and large buttons are easy on the eyes and on the Grandparents.
- Lots of data ports on the tablet.
- Prints off a nice PDF that you can scan in or use for data entry.
- Second visit is easier since data is retained from each visit.
- Prompts patients to provide information that they might not feel comfortable writing on a piece of paper.
- Reduces spelling errors by patients.
- Reduces reliance on poor penmanship by the patient.
- Can prompt the patient for specific data needed.
- Places the burden of data entry on the patient.
- provides a PDF or CCR that can be loaded into an EMR at some point.
- Can be used to collect co-pays and payment in a few months.
- Does not feel guilty asking the patient to pay their portion of the bill or a bill in full.
It's a great first step and I think this company has a great idea they just need to codify it quickly and get it interfaced to an EMR where you can import the ROS, P/E and HPI sections of the note along with History, Demographics and Insurance data to match the power of a Kiosk or patient portal.
All in all it's a neat device and with a few modifications and additions in the software will make a great addition to any waiting room.
LINKS about Phreesia:
http://venturebeat.com/2008/03/06/six-health-20-firms-reinvent-doctor-patient-ties/
http://www.medicaltabletpc.com/content/view/592/29/
http://forbesontech.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/09/demofall-what-r.html
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