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t m c » p u l s e | a p r i l 2 0 1 6 39 SHORT TAKES Apple, Texas Medical Center Partner to Build Series of Health Care Management Applications The TMC|Care mobile application will extend care pathway expertise to consumer platform O n March 21, at Apple's first press event of 2016, Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams unveiled a new iPhone application known as CareKit, aimed at capturing, storing and analyzing patient health data and pro- viding a direct line of communication between patients and their health care providers. The Texas Medical Center is proud to announce it is partnering with Apple to use the tools developed for CareKit to develop its own appli- cation, TMC|Care. The first version of TMC|Care will focus on supporting patients recover- ing from cardiothoracic surgery. The structured nature of the recovery pro- cess and the fact that it is relatively standard of care with enhanced data and information. TMC and its member institutions are excited about the prospect of integrating data from the patient app into each health system's electronic medical record. "This is the beginning of a deep and exciting collaboration between Apple, TMC and our member insti- tutions with the goal of advancing health care for all patients," said William F. McKeon, TMC executive vice president and chief strategy and operating officer. "The Texas Medical Center has the largest set of clinical and research expertise on one campus. We are uniquely positioned to transform the way we connect with and support patients in the future. This is yet another example of how TMC is innovating in the life sciences to improve the health of humanity." TMC and Apple teams are work- ing diligently to develop and test the initial app that is comprehensive and easy to use. TMC is consulting experts across the campus to ensure that the most innovative ideas are provided. This first version of TMC|Care marks the beginning of what is ulti- mately intended to be a suite of tools to aid in a variety of health-related issues. Future applications under consideration include heart surgery, congestive heart failure, chemother- apy treatment, post-cancer surgery recovery and adolescent psychiatric care support. — Shea Connelly, Texas Medical Center Sandra Hughes, Residential Real Estate Serving the Texas Medical Center area & beyond Call Sandra 281.830.1087 Sandra Hughes SJH Properties Principal Broker Make your next move, the best move www.SJH.Properties - Search Property Listings - Get Property Alerts - Discover Home Values Representing Buyers and Sellers quick, around six weeks, makes it an ideal starting point. "For a cardiothoracic surgeon, knowing the details of a patient's recovery is vital to preventing them from being readmitted to the hospital and ensuring that their health is steadily improving," said TMC President and CEO Robert C. Robbins, M.D., reflecting on his own personal experience as a cardiotho- racic surgeon. "We envision that the TMC|Care app will become a valued resource for both patients and doctors to manage operative recovery as safely and efficiently as possible." Using the app, patients will be able to track objective measurements, such as blood pressure, weight, activity and heart rate, using Bluetooth enabled devices that will automatically update the TMC|Care app on their mobile phones. Additionally, patients will provide subjective measures, such as pain levels, shortness of breath and wound healing progress, to create a holistic view of a patient's overall wellbeing. The physician teams from TMC member institutions emphasize that TMC|Care is not intended to replace the current standard of care, nor should it override common sense if a patient feels ill and needs to be seen immediately. Rather, the app is intended to be an additional layer of support for the patient and a con- nection to the care team to enrich