HIMSS Session Looks at the Use of Mobile for Staff Engagement

As usual, HIMSS 2024 had more sessions than you could shake a stick at. There was content on every topic that matters in healthcare, including several sessions on ongoing staff engagement and retention challenges in healthcare. Dan Dodson, System Director of Digital Health and Innovation at UNC Health presented one of those sessions. He talked about UNC using their mobile app and some of the same strategies they have used with patients to improve their teams’ experience.

In his session, Digital's Next Imperative in Healthcare: Revitalizing the Staff Experience, Dodson examined the importance of staff engagement and told the story of UNC's app and its impact on staff engagement. 

The UNC Health App 
Dodson mapped the UNC Health app from creation to execution to understand its success. UNC launched its app in September 2019 as a significant point in its digital engagement strategy. The app was downloaded over ten thousand times within a few months. These results showed that the UNC app had value to patients and staff alike. 

Dodson explained this value with some key features the app offers. During his presentation, Dodson listed the features users liked best. Some of these included: 

• Quick Access to UNC's My Chart: UNC uses a patient portal that allows patients to communicate with their doctors, manage their appointments, and more. The UNC mobile app gives patients easier access to their My UNC Chart. 
• Wayfinding: A common problem for UNC was losing patients in their facilities. The UNC app provided patients with clear guidance and navigation around its facilities. 
• Appointment Management: UNC's app allows users to manage their appointments at the push of a button. 
• Locate a Doctor: UNC's app covers all points of care. This begins by assisting users in finding a doctor. 
• Billing and Payments: At the end of their healthcare journey, the UNC app can help patients pay their bills digitally. 
• Mapping for Immediate Care: The UNC app tracks users' current location in reference to nearby facilities. 

Dodson provided statistics on the app's downloads since launch. But it wasn't patients' use that stood out—it was the staff. 

UNC Health App Impact on Staff Engagement 
In the last half of his presentation, Dodson focused on the UNC Health app's impact on staff. While users remain anonymous, Dodson was pleased to see UNC teammates use the app. 

The staff was using the app much like the patients were. Internal wayfinding assisted new employees and travel nurses. Key locations within the facility, like conference rooms, were added to the layout. UNC even started incorporating its app into its new employee orientation. 

The app was a success, but Dodson and UNC saw room for expansion. UNC wanted to provide its employees with new services without creating a new app. This required an authenticated experience for staff looking to access features not for patients. 

UNC tested this authentication by creating the "teammate experience" and doing an initial rollout to one department. The team was invited to use a link or QR code that allowed them to authenticate into the new experience within their existing mobile app. Once in the experience, staff can access HR, scheduling, and other tools. Having been tested and refined, the app can now be launched organization wide. 

Dodson wrapped up his presentation by looking at how UNC's app can improve in the future. One critical strategy was creating a personalized experience for users, primarily based on geographical location and role. His hope is that by personalizing the user experience, the mobile app will improve staff engagement. 

Dodson’s presentation shows that employees, like patients, deserve a reliable mobile app that meets their needs.