With the increasing prevalence of urological issues such as prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and hormonal deficiencies, Andros Clinics stands as the leading urological clinic in the Netherlands at the forefront of specialised care. Since 2022, Andros Clinics and Caro Health have jointly developed a digital solution: the Andros App. The app not only modernises the urological care pathway but also provides an enriching experience for both patients and healthcare providers. Esther Hartjes, Patient Relationship Manager at Andros Clinics, shares her experiences with the Andros app and highlights the many benefits it has already brought for her patients and colleagues.

The Andros app: innovative for both patients and healthcare providers

The Andros App, which made its debut in May 2022, presents a modern approach to urological care. ‘We primarily use the Andros app to inform patients before, during, and after their treatment,’ Esther explains. ‘This is particularly convenient as the app can send notifications to patients, reminding them of specific preparations or questionnaires.’

The use of the Andros app has provided several benefits for the patients, Esther notes. ‘We find that patients are better prepared and can easily find information in the app. This also results in them making fewer phone calls to us.’ Thanks to the repeated presentation of information in the app, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of questions. She also observes that patients experience the chat as more accessible than contacting us by phone: ‘Especially younger men are now more inclined to ask a question via chat, which is incredibly important and contributes to their recovery. This way, they feel heard.’ 

Esther Hartjes -  Patient Relationship Manager @ Andros

Esther shares the positive experiences of her colleagues with the chat function. ‘In the beginning, we were nervous about enabling the chat and were curious about the type of questions that would be asked,’ she explains. ‘But we quickly realised that the questions were useful and the volume remained manageable. We can easily forward questions to a nurse, and when we receive an urgent message, the nurses know to contact the patient by phone. I expect that the use of the chat will significantly contribute to reducing the number of phone calls in the future.’

Integration with the Electronic Patient Dossier

A crucial development for the Andros app was the integration with the Electronic Patient Dossier Emma from Timeff. Esther explains: ‘Patients now automatically receive a text message via the integration as soon as we schedule an appointment, with a link to download the app. Appointments are displayed directly in the app, which means patients no longer have to fill these in themselves or ask for appointment details.’

Thanks to this integration, the adoption of the app has grown, leading to increased patient satisfaction. Esther enthusiastically shares: ‘We see an increase in app adoption every week, and the feedback from patients is incredibly positive. Especially the convenience of the search function and the availability of information are appreciated.’ Patients rate the app with an average score of 8.7.

Digital recovery monitoring to keep track of patients' recovery

The implementation of recovery monitoring via the app has resulted in improvements in the workflow of Esther's colleagues, with significant time savings as a result. ‘Before using the app, the nurse used to contact about 16 patients per day by phone, but it later turned out that the phone calls were not always necessary, leading to inefficiency,’ Esther explains. ‘Now this process is fully automated via the app: patients can track their recovery daily, while the healthcare provider is kept informed automatically.’ Esther continues: ‘With a high pain score of more than 8, the nurse receives a notification, after which they contact the patient by phone to discuss it further.’

Future perspective and further expansion of the Andros app

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

Curious to know more?

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

Have you become curious about the story of Andros and Caro Health and would you like to delve deeper into Caro's digital solutions? Don’t hesitate to contact us and discover what we can do for you!