Get status updates on your stay in the ER or on a loved one's surgical procedure with the EASE app. Lehigh Valley Hospitals are using EASE to communicate with patients’ loved ones during procedures and overnight hospital stays. In addition, you can opt in to receive automated updates for non-critical patients in the emergency room. Patients must sign a consent form to participate in EASE and patients decide who will receive updates on their treatment. 

EASE provides a higher level of security than text messaging, making it a trusted communication tool for hospitals across the country.

Using EASE in the ER

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) was the first hospital system in the region to offer the EASE app for operating room (OR) procedures. The EASE app now also provides the ability to receive automated messages regarding treatment of non-critical patients in the emergency room. Emergency room updates are available now at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest and will eventually be expanded to all LVHN hospitals.

Using EASE in the OR

As a patient, you want your loved ones to stay informed about how your procedure is going – but waiting for updates can be nerve-wracking, especially if it’s a long procedure. Lehigh Valley Hospitals are making this process less stressful for families and friends with the EASE app.

Check with your provider to see if your procedure or hospital stay is eligible for EASE updates.

Secure messaging with the EASE app

EASE offers peace of mind knowing that the health information used is always secure, and that only the people patients or their guardians select will receive updates about their care.

Strong encryption

EASE app uses 256-bit encryption – the same standard as bank and credit card transactions – to protect the message as it travels across the Internet. These practices are consistent with federal health data privacy guidelines, such as the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA.

Message security

The EASE app continues protecting your privacy after your loved ones receive updates. The app automatically deletes messages from their device 60 seconds after it is received. Doing so means no one else can access the information – even if the device later becomes lost or stolen.

Setting up the app

A few steps will help establish a connection from the care team to loved ones so they can receive updates. Whether you are the patient or legal guardian of a patient, the setup is the same.

  1. Download the EASE app from iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
  2. Open the EASE app on your device and complete the registration process as a patient.
  3. Next, identify friends or family who would like to receive updates by selecting them from your contact list or by adding their names and mobile phone numbers individually.
     

 

 

 


Connecting with the care team 

When it is time to begin sending updates from the operating room, the care team will ask the patient or the patient’s guardian to open the app. They will scan a unique bar code from within the app and the bar code on the patient’s hospital ID bracelet. This creates a secure connection so they can send messages to your loved ones.

In the emergency department, automated messages will be sent when the patient’s electronic record is updated for things like orders for tests, when test results are available, when a room is assigned, and much more.

What happens next for family and friends? 

After the connection is made between the patient and the care team, people added to the EASE contact list will receive a text message with an access code. They can follow the steps below to receive updates:

  1. Download and open the EASE app.
  2. Select “Received Text Invitation.”
  3. On the next screen, loved ones add their mobile device phone number and the access code that was sent in the text message.

During the procedure or hospital stay, the care team will use the EASE app to send updates, such as how the procedure is progressing or if it has been completed.

Need help?

Should you need help, please call 888-402-LVHN (5846). You also may wish to visit EASEapplications.com for more information.

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