Mobile phone app protects home healthcare providers, patients

A smartphone application recently developed by San Mateo, Calf.-based AtHoc Inc. will now give home healthcare providers the ability to report any emergency involving themselves or their patients with the touch of a single button on their iOS or Android smartphone.

Called AtHoc Home Care Alerts, the new network-centric app not only has duress alerting capabilities but also field reporting and geo-centric personnel tracking. When an alert is sent, remote home healthcare staff are assured that the right people are instantly alerted with desktop popups, text messages, emails, phone calls and smart app push notifications.

The app's field-reporting capability assures that documentation is automatically submitted and in compliance with state and federal requirements. And its tracking capability allows staff members in the field to activate location tracking any time they feel uncomfortable. The addition of a check-in/check-out feature also alerts supervisors to any anomalies in an employee’s schedule.

In announcing the release of this new app, Guy Miasnik, AtHoc's CEO, stated, "Our latest innovation helps home health care leaders safeguard the security of their valued workforce and provides situational awareness of incidents."

AtHoc's entry into the home healthcare market widens its current client base, which includes the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Baylor Health Care Systems, Scott & White Health System and Kaiser Permanente Northern California.