Littleton and Porter hospitals selected to pilot new iTriage 'Tell us you're coming' feature

Porter Adventist and Littleton Adventist hospitals have been selected to pilot a new iTriage® feature that allows hospital emergency staff to be further prepared to meet the needs of incoming patients.

The two hospitals, which are part of the Centura Health network of care, are the first in Colorado and first in the nation to implement this new smartphone feature for patients.

"Littleton and Porter are proud to be the first hospitals in this area and throughout the U.S. to pilot this revolutionary program," said Randy Haffner, Porter CEO and president of the Centura Health South Denver Operating Group. "By allowing our patients to tell us that they are coming, and to relay what medical needs and conditions to expect, we provide a patient experience that far exceeds community expectations."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the demand for emergency services in the U.S. has been on the rise since 1996. With higher patient volume, those needing emergency care are finding overcrowded ERs and longer wait times. By using the "Tell us you're coming" feature, these two local hospitals have taken steps to streamline the intake process for emergency patients, improve the ER patient flow process, and provide mobile ways for patients to notify the hospitals of specific medical needs in advance.

iTriage - a free, consumer-based healthcare application, developed by Lakewood-based Healthagen®, is piloting the new feature with these two hospitals to roll out the cutting-edge program. Now, patients can use their smartphones to:

•Save time by filling out the intake information on their way into the hospital, which facilitates the registration process
•Notify emergency staff that an extended-sized wheelchair will be needed for patient unloading
•Inform staff that the incoming patient has allergies or other special medical needs

Now, when a consumer uses the iTriage application to locate Porter Adventist or Littleton Adventist hospitals, the user will have the option to click "Tell Us You're Coming" from the provider search or deep view pages in which the hospital facilities are highlighted. From there, the patient will fill out a form which mimics the actual emergency department document that asks for specifics like name, phone number, allergies, symptoms experienced, gender, age and anything else helpful for ER staff to know prior to arrival.

"As a healthcare app that aggregates symptom, disease, procedure and provider information, iTriage is helping empower consumers with their healthcare needs," said Peter Hudson, MD, CEO, Healthagen. "Littleton and Porter Adventist hospitals are leading the charge in providing patients with expedited care and unmatched mobile access."