SympTech is a survey/diary data collection tool used by health care providers, who have a valid SympTech account, for identifying and collating patient symptomatic experience. Designed by specialist doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and former patients. The technology was enhanced by detailed qualitative research that has led to a product designed for intuitive user experience as well as uplifting clinical standards.
The user interface is designed to maximise accessibility using large-tiles with simple graphics and speak aloud functionality. It is designed to suit a range of clinical environments from the ICU to the ward. It provides patients the ability to self report symptoms they are experiencing.
The SympTech app collects survey response data locally via an inbuilt database designed specifically for the nurses and other clinicians. It ensures that all communicated experiences are more thoroughly understood and so can be acted upon for individuals. This data is presented in a clinical relevant manner in the Nurse Zone. This acts as a portal to populate data in a centralised database used for quality improvement purposes at a population level.
The Nurse Zone has clear visual markers to distinguish it from the Patient Zone. When looking after a patient the nurse will be presented with the following information:
i. The Symptoms-to-address Checklist:
Generates a concise check list of symptoms needing treatment based on what the patients have communicated--which symptoms require treating or which emotional states are expressed. The nurses responsiveness to the symptomatic needs of the patients is monitored with the inbuilt monitoring tool.
.
ii. Providing Unique Messages to Patients
Patients often need constant reorientation of time and place, as well as an explanation for why they are there. Nurses can select ‘Modify Patient Message’ to provide patients with a personalised message that they will see when in Patient Zone. These personalised messages can help reduce distress that patients often experience. Nurses can also choose to update it with specific messages received from Relatives.
In addition to having a feature designed specifically for nurses, SympTechs ability to record symptoms reported across time generates data that has clinical relevance for quality improvement initiatives. Historical symptom data about each patient can be viewed in light of other patients’ symptoms in that same hospital, thus allowing medical staff to note ward-wide trends across ICU patients.