Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children Deploys GetWellNetwork Interactive Patient Care System

February 17, 2010

GetWell Town delivers unique entertainment, educational, and clinical care tools that cater to the special needs of children and their families. It also helps the hospital raise patient satisfaction and engagement by giving patients a wide range of communications options right from their bed.

The Alfred I. duPont Children’s Hospital began the discussion with GetWellNetwork to improve patient education and to implement innovative solutions that encourage better health outcomes in its young patients. GetWell Town allows staff to order special kid-friendly education videos, available through an exclusive partnership with KidsHealth, that are specific to the child’s condition. And, on-demand features allow families to review these educational videos at any time, find critical medication information, and even view profiles of their caregivers, helping to build a more personal connection with them.

The combination of the education features coupled with seamless integration into various hospital information systems enable duPont to give patients direct access to a variety of services. Using their touchscreen device, families can ask questions about prescribed medications, request new sheets or blankets, report problems with room functions and order their favorite snacks - especially if important milestones like birthdays are coming up.

“Our hospital continues to follow the threefold mission established by our founders in 1940 - excellence in patient care, education, and research. These principles are more relevant than ever and our work with GetWellNetwork helps us deliver on those promises,” said Mark Lorenz, associate administrator, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. “GetWell Town gives our pediatric patients and families immediate control of their hospital stay; they are in control of their environment and in control of their educational process, which can lead to better health outcomes for our patients.”

A unique feature of the GetWell Town is the fun, graphical design elements that actively engage kids from the moment they turn on their hospital room TV. Kids have access to movies and games as well as a library of exclusive education videos covering a range of topics including asthma, cancer, diabetes, RSV, test and procedures, and post-procedural care.

“When families bring their children to the hospital, it can be stressful and overwhelming at times, but the GetWell Town solution has been a fantastic way for them to process medical information and educate themselves at their own pace because they may not absorb all the information during their initial meeting with their doctors and nurses,” said Norine Watson, Director of Nursing Excellence, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

An unexpected benefit has been the amount of complements duPont has received from its patients through the ‘Feedback’ feature. The ability to provide feedback at their leisure seems to give patients and family members the opportunity to share their thoughts about their experiences with the hospital and staff members.

“Interactive patient care is grounded in the belief that when patients and family members are actively engaged in the care process, better patient outcomes follow. GetWell Town engages our youngest patients in a way that is fun, relevant, educational, and truly centered around the needs of our youngest patients, their families and those who care for them,” said Shannon O’Neil, MSW, Director of Pediatrics, GetWellNetwork.

The Alfred I. duPont Children’s Hospital is a division of Nemours, one of the largest pediatric health systems in the U.S. It offers all the specialties of pediatric medicine, surgery, and dentistry in a comfortable, family-focused facility on 300 acres of parkland just outside of Wilmington, Delaware.