St. Joe’s navigator app: using smartphone technology to improve patient, family, and caregiver experiences

One of the ways that St. Joe’s is empowering patients and families to self-manage their care is through the St. Joe’s Navigator app – a convenient, user-friendly mobile tool that streamlines a growing list of digital health information and services that patients rely on for care. 

“St. Joe’s Navigator app provides a gateway to health services that’s helping to transform the patient experience by connecting multiple digital applications behind one front door,” says Tara Coxon, vice president and chief information officer at St. Joe’s. 

St. Joe’s Navigator app streamlines access more than 25 digital applications in one easy-to-use app, including: 

• MyDovetale: St. Joe’s patient portal that provides access to current health information, medication list, medical history, lab test results, diagnostic imaging reports, appointment history, virtual video visits, as well as the ability to securely communicate with a patient’s care team. 
• PocketHealth: A digital platform that allows patients to access their high-quality diagnostic images and share them with other health care providers. 
• SeamlessMD: A digital care journey platform that provides a step-by-step guide to recovery for enrolled surgical patients. 
• Ontario Structured Psychotherapy West: A service that provides support for adults with depression, anxiety, and anxiety-related concerns in the Ontario West region. 
• Health811: Ontario Health’s telephone service that connects Ontarians with a registered nurse for free, secure, and confidential health advice. 

St. Joe’s Navigator app was redesigned in the fall of 2023, two years after it was first available for download in the app stores. Today, more than 8,000 patients are using the St. Joe’s Navigator app, including Gary Halyk. 

“Kudos to St. Joe’s for leveraging smartphone technology to improve patient, family, and caregiver experiences. Involving a patient family advisor in the testing of the new Navigator app is just one example of what St. Joe’s is doing right in the implementation of new patient-centred solutions,” said Gary Halyk, a patient and family advisor at St. Joe’s. 

Niagara Health System, Southlake Regional Health Centre, and North York General Hospital developed similar navigator apps, but St. Joe’s was the first hospital to integrate its patient portal (MyDovetale) into the app, which is a significant benefit to patients because it’s the hub for most health service activity. Ontario Health Teams (OHT) are also starting to build their own Navigator apps, with Burlington’s OHT now live. 

“The Navigator app places patients at the centre of their care and allows them to focus on what matters most: their health and well-being,” says Halyk.