BayCare's HealthNav Mobile App Helps Link Patients to Care

CLEARWATER, Fla., Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to expanding access to health care, BayCare Health System has launched HealthNav, a free mobile app that can help guide people with non-urgent conditions to convenient, quality medical services.

"Whether it's a cold or a minor injury, most people have that moment where they wonder what to do next," said Eli Freilich, MD, director of clinical performance and responsible for medical oversight for care management, BayCare. "HealthNav can provide guidance, information and links to care options based on someone's non-urgent symptoms, right from a smart phone or tablet. The app can be a resource that fits in with today's busy lifestyles and help people return to their daily activities as quickly as possible."

By using HealthNav, people can more easily:

• Find the closest BayCare emergency room
• Make an appointment for an office visit
• See a doctor through a virtual visit
• Reserve a visit at a nearby BayCare Urgent Care Center
• Receive directions and contact information for their desired location

"HealthNav combines several processes – symptom checking, mapping a location and scheduling so that someone can get more information on a possible condition and make a decision about the next step. This multiple functionality can help streamline the process of getting the right care at the right time at the right place," said Dr. Freilich.

HealthNav connects patients to BayCare services across Tampa Bay and Polk County. This includes 14 leading hospitals, emergency centers, urgent care centers and physicians. The search can be filtered to look for specific criteria such as location.

Designed to help evaluate someone's condition, HealthNav's symptom checker feature uses an outline of the human body. By clicking on the appropriate body area on the outline, a list that describes conditions appears and the most appropriate choice can be selected.

If an urgent care visit is indicated, HealthNav can link a person to an online scheduling feature to book a visit at one of BayCare's Urgent Care Centers. For patients who would like to see a physician virtually, HealthNav can link them to BayCare Anywhere, BayCare's 24/7 non-emergency telemedicine service offering virtual doctor visits through a smart phone, tablet or computer. To find a physician, contact information to BayCare's physician referral service is available.

Wi-Fi enabled HealthNav is free and available for Android and Apple smart phones and tablets and can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store. "Anyone can use the app, regardless of whether or not they are a BayCare patient or if they don't currently have a primary care doctor," noted Dr. Freilich.

HealthNav complies with HIPAA guidelines for patient safety and confidentiality. Users can download the app before they have an illness or injury so it's ready when needed.

HealthNav is just one of a series of telemedicine solutions that BayCare is using to enhance care and improve access. The solutions include:

• eCare, an electronic patient monitoring system that uses remote computer monitoring technology to enhance the care of critically ill patients in the hospital
• BayCare Anywhere, a 24/7 non-emergency telemedicine service offering virtual doctor visits through a secure, interactive video and audio communications on a smart phone, tablet or computer
• Telemonitoring of patients in nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities
• Telemonitoring of certain BayCare HomeCare patients

For more information on BayCare's HealthNav, visit www.BayCare.org/HealthNav.

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and west central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE BayCare Health System

Related Links

http://www.baycare.org