Andros App: Care Innovation in Urology

With the increasing prevalence of urological problems such as prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction and hormone deficiencies, Andros Clinics is at the forefront of specialized care as the leading urology clinic in the Netherlands. Andros Clinics and Caro Health have jointly developed a digital solution since 2022: the Andros App. The app not only modernizes the urological care pathway, but also provides an enriching experience for both patients and caregivers. Esther Hartjes, Manager of Patient Relations at Andros Clinics, shares her experiences with the Andros app and highlights the many benefits it has already brought to her patients and colleagues.

The Andros app: innovative for both patient and caregiver

The Andros App, which made its debut in May 2022, presents a modern approach to urological care. 'We currently primarily use the Andros app to inform patients before, during and after their treatment,' Esther explains. 'This is particularly useful because the app can send notifications to patients to remind them of certain preparations or questionnaires.'

Using the Andros app has brought several benefits to patients, Esther notes. 'We find that patients are better prepared and can easily find the information in the app. This also causes them to contact us less by phone.' Thanks to the repeated display of information in the app, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of questions. She also notes that patients experience the chat as more approachable than contacting us by phone: 'Younger men in particular are now more likely to ask a question via the chat, which is incredibly important and contributes to their recovery. It makes them feel heard'.  

Esther shares her colleagues' positive experiences with the chat feature. 'At first we were excited to turn on the chat and were curious about the type of questions that would be asked,' she explains. 'But soon we found that the questions were useful and the number remained manageable. We can easily forward questions to a nurse, and when we receive an urgent message, the nurses themselves know to contact by phone. I expect the use of chat to contribute significantly to reducing the number of phone calls in the near future.

Linkage to the Electronic Patient Record

A crucial development for the Andros app was interfacing with Timeff's Emma Electronic Patient Record. Esther explains: 'Through the link, patients now automatically receive a text message as soon as we schedule an appointment, with a link to download the app. Appointments are displayed directly in the app, eliminating the need for patients to fill them in themselves and for them to ask for appointment details.'

Thanks to this link, adoption of the app has grown, leading to increased patient satisfaction. Esther enthusiastically shares, "We see an increase in app adoption every week, and patient feedback is incredibly positive. Especially the ease of the search function and the availability of information are appreciated.' On average, patients give the app an 8.7.

Digital recovery monitoring to monitor patients' recovery

The implementation of recovery monitoring through the app has brought improvements in the work process of Esther's colleagues, resulting in significant time savings. 'Before using the app, nurses would contact about 16 patients a day by phone, but in retrospect it turned out that the phone call was not always necessary, resulting in inefficiencies,' Esther explains. 'Now this process is fully automatic through the app: patients can track their recovery daily, while the caregiver is automatically kept informed.' Esther continues: 'In case of a high pain score above 8, the nurse receives a notification, after which they contact the patient by phone to discuss it further.'

Future prospects and further expansion of the Andros app

Esther emphasizes Andros Clinics' positive experience with Caro Health: "We have plans to further integrate the app into regular consultations and annual checkups, we believe this would work very well''. Her advice to other companies looking to collaborate on innovative healthcare solutions? 'Just start small and expand gradually,' she advises. 'I myself was also unfamiliar with using an app, but the Caro team guides you from A to Z, and the benefits for patients are huge.'

Curious about more?

The Andros App has optimized the urologic care pathway, with improved efficiency, better patient preparation and significant time savings for both providers and patients.

Are you curious by the story of Andros and Caro Health and would like to learn more about Caro's digital solutions? Then don't hesitate to contact us and find out what we can do for you!

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