postnatal care - Journey PX Patient Software

Written with contributing author Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare

Linda Robinson, the Vice President of Clinical Excellence at MDM Healthcare, recently spoke with Cindy M. Barter, MD, a family practitioner at Hunterdon Health in Lambertville, NJ. Dr. Barter is also a lactation consultant and is passionate about health equity, especially as it relates to maternal child health.

The two discussed a variety of topics including addressing barriers to prenatal care, meeting the needs of the Spanish-speaking community, improving care, group care, and maternal health equity. Since 2009, Dr. Barter has been a faculty member of the Hunterdon Family Medicine Residency Program. She directs patient care at Hunterdon Family Medicine at Phillips-Barber and is responsible for providing and teaching maternity care and inpatient Family Medicine rotations.

“I had been a family care doctor who delivers babies for a long time. When I started at Hunterdon, I found out that there was a group of women who didn’t start prenatal care until much later in their pregnancy. It happened to be a large Latino community and I started to think, ‘What are the barriers why are they not starting care?’”

Dr. Barter explained that she heard that the causes included large copays, lack of a translator, transportation and daycare issues. Barter started looking at ways to solve the problem.

“A lot of healthcare providers think addressing the social determinants of health isn’t their job, that it’s someone else’s job. I wanted to start to look at ways to think outside the box and think about it differently,” she said.

Barter received a grant to provide pregnant women prenatal care without a copay, transportation for that care, and childcare during prenatal care visits. They also did the entire visit in English and Spanish so there wasn’t a language barrier.

“In a very short period of time, after we started the Latina women started prenatal care by about 50 percent during the first trimester. We know early access to prenatal care improves outcomes,” she said.

Barter also added that within a year of starting the program, the rate of women receiving early prenatal care jumped to 85 percent.

“If you take away the barriers, that often helps improve care,” said Barter.

Dr. Barter continued to explain that her mission has been to apply this solution system-wide to start addressing maternal health equity.

“If you look at maternal mortality rates in the United States compared with most industrialized countries, we’re not doing so well. My state of New Jersey is ranked 47th,” she said.

Barter also expressed that group visits are another way to make a positive impact.

“The power of the group really does make an impact…it’s amazing in many different healthcare settings,” said Barter.

Hunterdon Hospital partners with Journey PX to provide patient engagement solutions to their patients. Dr. Barter has seen firsthand the positive impact of the maternal health education Journey PX provides to their patients, including Spanish-speaking patients.

“I know there are many patients who have said they watched them and learned from them. My goal is to make more patients aware of their Journey PX solutions early on so they can utilize them,” she said.

Dr. Barter also brings up Journey PX maternal health education for her patients in their room to view.

“I think it’s a great solution,” she said.

Journey PX also allows the education to be texted and emailed to patients after discharge so they can continue to access the vital health education they need.

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A vital aspect of pre and postnatal care is the provision of comprehensive health education, covering important topics such as breastfeeding, safe sleep practices, and recognizing post-birth warning signs. The effectiveness of this education is influenced not only by its content but also by the sources and delivery methods employed. In the context of the special needs of new mothers, infants, and families, it is crucial to have a patient engagement platform that caters specifically to their unique requirements.

With this recognition in mind, Journey PX has recently developed an innovative solution called Journey PX Mother Baby, which is tailored specifically for mother-baby units. This platform serves as a comprehensive resource, delivering essential health education, assisting parents and newborns in preparing for discharge, and ultimately enhancing the overall patient experience. By addressing the distinctive needs of this environment, Journey PX Mother Baby plays a significant role in promoting the well-being of both mothers and infants, facilitating a smooth transition into parenthood.

Additionally, Mother Baby is quick and easy to deploy and can be up and running in less than 6 weeks. It is also priced for individual units, with flexible payment options.To find out more about what Journey PX Mother Baby can do for your Mother Baby unit, schedule a free demo.

To hear more from Dr. Barter listen to her full PX Space interview with host Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, below.

Written with the help of contributing author Linda Robinson, MSN,RN, CPXP, Vice President of Clinical Excellence at MDM Healthcare

In a recent podcast episode of PX Space, Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare, had the opportunity to speak with Annamari Dietrichson, a healthcare leader and the Continental Division Vice President of Patient Experience at HCA Healthcare. Annamari, who is also the Owner/Founder of Authentic Health & Wellness and an executive health coach, shared invaluable insights on how healthcare professionals can not only survive but thrive in this new era. The conversation centered around cultivating a breakthrough mindset and its profound impact on both staff and patients.

The Importance of Patient Experience and Employee Engagement:

Dietrichson emphasized the significance of patient experience and employee engagement, particularly in today's chaotic healthcare environment. She pointed out that while implementing various tactics such as nurse leader rounding and bedside shift reports are essential, they are ineffective without a team that is genuinely enthusiastic about their job. Dietrichson firmly believes that investing time in employee engagement is crucial, as it triggers a domino effect that positively influences every aspect of care delivery.

The Power of Genuine Listening:
According to Dietrichson, truly listening to patients is paramount, even when following scripted procedures like nurse leader rounding. Engaging in meaningful conversations and demonstrating a genuine commitment to understanding the patient's perspective can make a world of difference in the quality of care provided.

Flourishing as a Healthcare Leader:
Healthcare leaders face tremendous stress as they lead teams working tirelessly in a 24/7, 365-day environment. Dietrichson highlighted the importance of not allowing this stress to reflect on staff interactions. This is where her work as a health coach becomes invaluable. By promoting self-care, cultivating a breakthrough mindset, and prioritizing energy restoration, healthcare leaders can flourish despite the challenges they face.

Embracing a Breakthrough Mindset:
Dietrichson stressed the significance of adopting a breakthrough mindset, which involves challenging limiting beliefs and negativity. Many healthcare professionals enter the field fueled by passion and purpose, only to experience burnout. Dietrichson believes it is the responsibility of every healthcare leader to discover ways to thrive and create a positive impact on their teams and patients.

Journey PX: Transforming Care Delivery:
Journey PX is passionate about helping care teams, partners with them to transform care delivery models. The cutting-edge, cloud-based platform offers solutions that streamline clinical workflows and alleviate non-clinical tasks, saving clinicians time. One of the platform’s solutions, My Stay, provides patients access to a comprehensive library of educational videos tailored to their specific health needs. Nurses can support patients by assigning them individualized education plans, empowering them to become more informed and proactive about their care. Additionally, Journey PX Connect enables nurses to securely connect with patients via video, enhancing access to care, saving time, and reducing exposure risks.

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Listen to the Full Podcast:
To delve deeper into Annamari Dietrichson's insights and expertise, tune in to the full PX Space podcast interview, available below.

Conclusion:
Discovering ways to thrive as a healthcare professional is essential in today's demanding environment. By embracing a breakthrough mindset, prioritizing patient experience and employee engagement, and taking care of their well-being, healthcare leaders can create positive transformations for their teams and provide exceptional care to their patients.

Written with contributing author Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare

Childbirth is a transformative and empowering experience for mothers, but it can also be a challenging and overwhelming journey. Recently, Linda Robinson MSN, CPXP, RN Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare spoke with Braidi Huecker, MD, OB-GYN on a PX Space podcast episode. The two discussed empowering expecting and new mothers with education about the childbirth process.

Dr. Huecker shared her insights on a variety of topics, including challenging stereotypes, birth positivity, and the importance of postpartum care.

“I think when patients come in during labor, or for their prenatal or postpartum visit they have this idea of how things should be, how the picture should look, how happy they should be, and what the background is going to look like. However real life is not Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest. Real life is way harder than a beautiful photo. It can be messy. I think that puts a lot of pressure on the mother and the partner,” she said.

She explained that she believes there should be a birth positivity movement, similar to the recent body positivity movement in American culture.

“We’re not all the same. Not all women are the same, so why can’t we have birth positivity? Why can’t we celebrate birth differences? We should be celebrating how wonderful it is that we have experienced the birth of our child.”

Dr. Huecker expressed the importance of challenging childbirth and pregnancy stereotypes because they only add pressure on new mothers.

“Patients come in and they have this plan, and birth plans are fantastic, but if something doesn’t go according to your birth plan, it’s important to remember that babies don’t read the textbook and that your birth story is unique. It’s a beautiful, wonderful moment and your baby is born however he or she needed to,” she said.

Dr. Huecker also provides advice for new mothers who may be struggling with breastfeeding. She explained that similar to birth stories, unhealthy stereotypes exist about breastfeeding that also put unnecessary pressure on new mothers. She emphasized that mothers should do the best they can to breastfeed as it is healthy for the baby, but not beat themselves up if they have trouble with it.

“Everybody is different, and every breast is different, so you don’t know until you try it,” she said.

In addition to breastfeeding, another challenge mothers face when returning home after birth is the possibility of having postpartum depression. She discussed the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression and the available resources to support mothers who are struggling.

“Postpartum depression is a huge risk and can lead to maternal suicide. One out of seven patients have postpartum depression,” she said.

Dr. Huecker again emphasized how important it is that mothers stop comparing themselves to maternal stereotypes. She also explained how important it is for them to ask for help, communicate their feelings, and practice self-care.

“Moms need breaks. They have their baby 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s okay for mothers to let a trusted person watch the baby for a few hours and go take some time for themselves. It’s not selfish, it’s important,” she said.

She said that it usually takes a year after birth for mothers to fully bounce back.

Another topic she discussed was the prevention of injury to the baby due to conditions such as SIDS or Shaken Baby Syndrome. Dr. Huecker learned the importance of safe sleep firsthand before she ever started medical school when her newborn brother had a SIDS scare.

“We know now based on research that laying a baby on his or her back is the best way for them to sleep and that the baby sleeps alone,” she said.

She also explained some key things to remember when it comes to preventing an accidental incident of shaken baby syndrome.

“Babies cry and if you are unable to get away from that crying and get frustrated you should step away. The best thing to do is to walk outside. You have to take a mental break and walk outside for a moment. I don’t mean leave the baby alone for a long period of time or ignore your baby, but if a mother gets frustrated or upset with a crying baby, it’s important that they put the baby down and get their aggression out elsewhere because that baby needs them to do the right thing,” she said.

Preventable actions can be taken to educate parents and caregivers about SIDS and shaken baby syndrome. Education from the right sources at the right time is a powerful preventative tool. Proper education from the right source can help set up new parents for success in dealing with childbirth issues discussed by Dr. Huecker such as safe sleep, post birth warning signs, and breastfeeding.

Journey PX Mother Baby is a solution designed specifically for mother-baby units, delivering vital health education, which research shows drives positive patient outcomes, right to their hospital room via their television set. Journey PX Mother Baby also prepares parents and newborns for discharge and enhances the overall patient experience. The solution is also quick and easy to deploy. To find out more about what Journey PX Mother Baby can do for your Mother Baby unit, schedule a free demo.

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You can hear more from Dr. Huecker’s interview with Linda Robinson, including personal stories about their own birth journeys, by listening to the PX Space podcast interview.

In a recent PX Space podcast interview, host Linda Robinson MSN, CPXP, RN, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare spoke with Dr. D.P. Suresh. Dr. Suresh is an interventional cardiologist and executive medical director of the Florence Wormald Heart & Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky. He is committed to helping patients reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the United States. Dr. Suresh outlined The American Heart Association’s eight simple things you can do to help lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Dr. Suresh explains how the list is comprised of five things you can do to prevent risk, and three tests you can take.

1.Walk Everyday

2.Get A Good Night’s Sleep

3.Cut Out Red Meat and Sugar

4.Quit Smoking and Vaping

5. Keep Stress Levels Down

6. Track Your Cholesterol Levels

7.Check Your Blood for Sugar

8. Monitor Your Blood Pressure

Journey PX provides a variety of benefits for patients admitted into the hospital after a heart attack or stroke. Journey PX’s patient engagement solutions drive communication and crucial health education, even when clinicians are not in the room. The extensive library of patient education videos offered through the My Stay solution keeps heart and stroke patients informed and educated about their care throughout their hospital stay. The education library can be embedded in the EMR and can be automated or manually deployed based on stroke and or heart health risk factors, treatments, or diagnoses. It can even release engaging prompts to the TV to encourage the patient to watch the education! Once the education is completed, it can auto-document the completion and comprehension back into the EMR. In addition, Journey PX’s Connect solution allows for secure virtual rounding and provider visits. The combination of these features saves clinicians valuable time and steps and provides patients with a richer patient experience. My Stay also allows vital health education to be delivered via email and text upon discharge for both patients and their caregivers.

Journey PX is also designed to make sure that anything that goes on the Digital Whiteboard, My Day Today, is in a language patients can understand. “We never want patients to become frustrated with information they don’t understand or afraid to ask questions in the hospital,” said Robinson. She continued to explain that this philosophy extends to the videos Journey PX houses in the health education library, My Stay. Patients are best served by technology that is intuitive and easy to use. “If patients can use a TV remote, they can use the cloud-based patient engagement solution Journey PX.” It integrates with the hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR), so it displays accurate real-time plan of care information. Displaying information in this way engages the patient as an active participant in their care which has been shown to drive positive outcomes.

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To hear more from Dr. D.P. Suresh about the topic, listen to the full PX Space podcast interview below.

Written with contributing author Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare

Dr. Jean Watson is a prominent nurse theorist who made significant contributions to nursing. Her theory of caring has been widely adopted and applied by nurses all over the world. Watson's Theory of Caring is a humanistic approach to nursing that emphasizes the importance of the nurse-patient relationship. According to Watson, caring is a fundamental component of nursing and involves a deep commitment to the well-being of the patient. It involves being present and attentive to the patient's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. The Theory of Caring has significant implications for nursing practice. It emphasizes the importance of the nurse-patient relationship, which is essential for the delivery of high-quality care. It also recognizes the importance of the patient's emotional and spiritual well-being, which is often overlooked in traditional medical care.

Watson has had a long, illustrious career both as a nurse and in academia, and has authored over 30 books on caring. She has been recognized with a myriad of prestigious awards including being recently inducted as a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing, its highest honor. She currently serves as the Founder and Director of a non-profit foundation, Watson Caring Science Institute.

Recently, nurse thought leader Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, VP of Clinical Excellence at MDM Healthcare, interviewed Dr. Watson for an episode of our podcast PX Space.

Watson shared her thoughts about the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. “It’s been a wakeup call for all of us, at the personal level at the institutional level, and at the societal level because it has put a spotlight on all the difficulties that nurses have experienced across time in terms of their commitment, their dedication, values, philosophical orientation toward humanity and caring and health for all. Yet the institutions have been structured around economics and control, “fix it” models of medical intervention at all costs,” she said. Watson said the result of this has been an awakening about the critical importance of human connection in patient care.

Watson also referred to the COVID 19 pandemic as a “living metaphor” for a worldview shift structured around the philosophy of the interconnectedness of humanity. Watson explained that this shift is forcing institutions to pay attention to humanized care models.

She also explained that hospital administrators must understand they are responsible for providing nurses with a healing environment.

The innovative cloud-based patient experience platform Journey PX supports Watson’s mission to humanize care by partnering with providers to enrich the patient experience.

“We talk about value-based care, but real value can be found in the relationships nurses create with their patients,” said Robinson. Journey PX aids in the interoperability between technology and hospital care teams by allowing them to offload non-clinical tasks, and create lean workflows, allowing them to have more time for intimate connection with patients at the bedside.

Robinson reflected on her conversation with Watson. “Caring begins with being present, as Dr. Watson so eloquently expressed. We know that caring improves patient outcomes. As discussed, it is difficult to be present with our patients in this post-pandemic chaotic healthcare landscape of overstressed, demanding workplaces. Nurses are dealing with the effects of nursing shortages, an experience complexity gap, and an overwhelming list of tasks,” she said.

Robinson expressed that the important question to address is how care organizations can assist nurses by giving them more time at the bedside. “At Journey PX we are dedicated to working with nurses and organizations on utilizing patient engagement technology that is high touch, high tech,” she said.

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You can hear more from Dr. Watson’s intimate discussion with Linda Robinson, including her thoughts on the nursing shortage, nurse rounding and more by listening to the PX Space podcast interview.

To view more information on the Watson Caring Science Institute, including the programs they offer nurses, visit their website.

Written with contributing author Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare

As the healthcare industry becomes increasingly focused on improving patient experiences, the role of a Patient Experience Liaison has become increasingly important. This individual serves as a bridge between patients and healthcare providers, helping to ensure that patients' needs are met and their voices are heard. A Patient Experience Liaison can play a critical role in enhancing the quality of care and overall satisfaction of patients, as well as fostering a culture of empathy and patient-centeredness within healthcare organizations. Recently, we spoke about the topic with Lisa Gilliam, RN, MSN, CPXP, who works as a Nurse Supervisor at Redlands Community Hospital.

Gilliam, who worked as a Patient Experience Liaison for 6 years, talks about the importance of paying stressed the importance of paying attention to patients' unique needs.

“Patients just really want to be heard, they want to know you care. Getting down to that eye level of the patient and taking that moment, even if it’s a couple minute can really change the perspective of that patient’s experience, and the family’s experience,” she said.

Gilliam also discussed how she has implemented systems to address patients' feedback to create new initiatives that addressed pressing patient problems concerning lost belongings and night-time quietness.

In addition, Gilliam highlighted her work with the Beryl Institute. “Beryl Institute has amazing resources on their website, whitepapers and videos. I learned so much for them that I eventually decided that I wanted to be a part of the Beryl Institute so I joined their patient advisory committee,” she said.

Gilliam explained that her role allows her to aid everyone inside the hospital room. “I get to help the patient, I get to help the family and I get to help the nurse. It’s really about educating that patient and filling those gaps that we didn’t fill at the bedside,” she said.

The philosophy Gilliam describes concerning the healing power of a rich patient experience is the idea that powers the Journey PX brand. Our innovative patient engagement platform is uniquely designed to elevate your PX while eliminating work for your nurses and other key staff.

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Journey PX solutions close gaps in communication by keeping patients informed of their daily plan of care, and streamlining communications between patients, families, and care teams. They also empower patients by providing individualized education and engagement tools. Journey PX allows hospital organizations to hard-wire bedside shift reports, saving clinicians steps and time.

Journey PX’s digital whiteboard, My Day Today, provides vital information to hospital care teams, patients, and their families. My Stay provides patients with the education they need via access to an extensive education library. This allows patients to become more empowered through health literacy and enhances their readiness for discharge. It also helps support patients after discharge by providing education that can be texted to them. Journey PX’s virtual care solution, Connect, enables video calling for patients and families. It also provides a secure connection that allows for virtual visits and rounding by hospital care teams, all through the TV in the patient’s room.

To hear more from Lisa Gilliam including her thoughts on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more listen to the full PX Space podcast interview below.

Written with contributing author Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare

There are several healthcare professionals that assist families during their childbirth journey. Many families are choosing to hire doulas, trained professionals who provide physical, emotional, and informational support throughout the process. These professionals bring a lot to the table when it comes to patient experience, support that is essential for expecting parents. Debbie Young, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, shared some valuable insights on the topic in a recent interview.

Young explained that there are several types of doulas including traditional birth doulas, postpartum doulas, and community doulas, who serve specific communities' needs. She also noted that many hospitals do have doula programs. She elaborated on how doulas work with hospital care teams during childbirth.

“I see myself as part of a team because I am not there to do clinical things, but I am there to do the support part. You think of all the skills needed by the clinical personnel, nurse, doctor, and midwife; I want to be a part of that team. I do not replace any of them, instead, I am there as an extra bonus,” she said.

Young explained one of the things that set the role of a doula apart is that they are devoted entirely to the expecting family.

Many parents who have recently got the news they are expecting may be interested in the process of starting with a doula. Young explains that doulas meet with parents several times throughout the perinatal journey. She meets with an expecting mother at least two times and noted that the chemistry between expecting parents and their doula is important.

“First, I just to do a meet and greet for free because, as I tell families, I am going to be with you at one of the most vulnerable times of your life, and even if I am very smart, and I know what I am talking about, if I do not have a personality that matches your personality, I am not the right doula for you. Let me give you the name of a couple of other doulas in the area that you could call upon. I do stress when I talk about hiring a doula from my childbirth education classes, that parents talk to two or three people because that person is going to be at this intimate time in their lives,” she said.

In today’s healthcare landscape care delivery models are evolving to address recent challenges such as workforce shortages. As technology continues to impact the healthcare industry, and the popularity of telehealth on the rise, many hospital organizations are beginning to invest in innovative technology tools. Journey PX Connect allows hospitals to bring an additional healthcare expert into the patient room virtually. Connect enables video calling for patients and families. The solution also provides a secure connection that allows for virtual visits and rounding by providers, nurses, other clinicians, and authorized staff, all through the patient’s in-room TV.

Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, MDM Healthcare elaborated on the added value of bringing in additional experts virtually, to the bedside.

“Currently, hospitals are dealing with nurses that are overwhelmed, overworked, and an experience complexity gap. Why not look at another professional that you can add to the care team to drive quality? Technology such as Journey PX Connect provides hospitals with the ability to bring additional experts to give that added layer of support,” said Robinson.

She also noted that in specialized units like Mother Baby Units, these experts would be professionals such as doulas and lactation consultants.

The importance of education was another topic discussed by Young, who began her 35-year career in the childbirth field as a childbirth educator. Young is noted for her extensive work in childbirth education. In fact, in addition to her current role as a doula and doula trainer, she provides childbirth educational materials to health professionals, patients, and students as the Customer Relations Manager at InJoy Health Education, an education partner of Journey PX.

“Education is really important. I think that when patients go into labor just assuming everything is going to work out fine, they may have no idea what they are getting into,” said Young.

She explained that one of her most important goals is to provide expecting mothers with an education on a variety of topics that also covers a wide array of “what if” scenarios.

“When my students get into the delivery room, they are prepared. No one can be prepared for absolutely everything, but they are prepared. I just taught a class last night where we did a labor rehearsal. Next week, my class is going to be all about postpartum. Education about breastfeeding and post-birth warning signs, etc., they will need it all, and I think it is crucial,” she continued.

Providing comprehensive health education on topics such as breastfeeding, safe sleep, and post-birth warning signs is a key component of antenatal and postpartum care. The sources and delivery of this education are additional layers that impact the quality of patient care for newborns and their parents. This special environment requires a patient engagement platform that is tailored to the unique needs of new mothers, babies, and families. Recognizing this, Journey PX recently developed Journey PX Mother Baby, a new solution designed specifically for mother-baby units, which delivers vital health education, prepare parents and newborns for discharge, and enhances the overall patient experience.

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To hear more from Debbie Young about the doula’s role in patient care, including assisting the nursing team and additional benefits doulas provide, listen to her full PX Space interview with host Linda Robinson, MSN, CPXP, RN, below.

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