Can a secure messaging app improve the communication of diagnostic imaging results to inform diagnosis and treatment?
Delays and errors in communicating diagnostic information between clinicians can – and do – result in serious consequences.
The challenge of communicating diagnostic information is magnified in the Emergency Department (ED) due to time pressures, distractions, information inaccessibility and the likelihood of patients leaving hospital before test results are returned.
The aim of this project was to test the effectiveness of an app-based system – myBeepr – for communicating urgent and critical diagnostic information.
The first phase of this trial involved a Facilitated Dialogue with key stakeholders.
To ensure that participants had a good understanding of the issue – and what others around the world had done to address it – they were briefed with the results of a Rapid Evidence and Practice review (below).
From the Facilitated Forum Dialogue, participants drew the following conclusions on how to improve communication between clinicians in relation to test results.
We trialled the myBeepr app, which allows users to send secure messages, transmit clinical photos and access other customised features on the go while maintaining the privacy and security of patient health information.
myBeepr, which is designed for the Australian healthcare system, was used by radiologists and ED consultants at Monash Health to send secure messages for all adult computed tomography (CT) scans requested by the ED during the trial period.
Further information can be be found on the Trial Registration page on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry
myBeepr demonstrated potential for communicating critical information securely and quickly, with a median read time of 59 seconds from the time the message was sent.
Radiologists viewed myBeepr as potentially time-saving, efficient and an extremely useful way to improve communication.
By contrast, ED consultants did not view the app as useful for communication. However, this may be explained by the trial set-up, which required the consultants to carry an additional phone.
