Orlando Health launches new Arthur App

Orlando Health has launched its new Arthur App, which helps non-verbal patients better communicate in a hospital or rehabilitation setting. 

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The Arthur App is designed to assist patients who are awake and non-verbal due to medical conditions, such as stroke, ALS, autism or temporary speech impairment caused by a traumatic accident or a possible effect of surgery like intubation. These patients would need to have the ability to interact with an iPad to select their intended message using their finger or a medical grade stylus.

Through the app, which is available in multiple languages, patients can communicate messages, such as their pain level and symptoms, thoughts and feelings, questions, and requests. Patients also can type words that are then relayed verbally or use the app’s whiteboard function to write their message.

“We have seen patients’ eyes light up when they regain their ability to communicate using the Arthur App,” Melissa Morales, nursing operations manager of the neuroscience intensive care unit at Orlando Health's Orlando Regional Medical Center, said. “Their loved ones are relieved and it takes the guesswork out of providing excellent healthcare.”

The app was inspired by Orlando Health brand manager Jen Foley’s experience with her father, Arthur, who was unable to speak in the hospital after a surgery many years ago.

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“Patients, like my father, who endure communication barriers have difficulty expressing their care needs and questions," Foley said. "They often feel frustrated and depressed by their inability to convey their thoughts and feelings, which can hinder recovery. The Arthur App is meant to be a user-friendly tool that gives patients the power of their voice back, and,  in doing so, the ability to be active participants in decisions about their healthcare. It also aids their care team, enables contact with loved ones and provides for an overall better patient experience.” 

After watching her father struggle to communicate with everyone around him, Foley made an alphabet chart with common phrases. Her father used the chart to point to the letters: G-L-A-S-S-E-S. He simply wanted his glasses. 

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The importance of communication in that scenario resonated with Foley long after her father’s hospital experience. So, she collaborated with Orlando Health Foundry to create the app. 

The Foundry was introduced in 2018 to provide a structured process of support to internal innovation, ensuring team members’ and physicians’ ideas are heard and given the greatest opportunity to develop.

The Arthur App is available for download on the Apple App Store for use throughout the Orlando Health system. 

Hospitals interested in evaluating and piloting the program can contact the Arthur App team for a limited complimentary access. 

For more information on the Arthur App, click here.