Applied Knowledge
Easing patient care
Caitlan Dougherty "upped her game" at Riley Hospital Burn Center, with the technology of App development and deployment.
Photo provided
It's no surprise that many HHS entrepreneurs are in health care fields.
Caitlin Dougherty, for instance, earned her degree in 2010 in youth, adult and family services, and she now works as a certified child life specialist at the Riley Hospital Burn Center. Each day, multiple times, she helps children cope with the painful procedure of having their burn-dressings changed.
"Distraction is a crucial tool," Dougherty says. And she couldn't help noticing how much her young patients loved playing with her iPad during their procedures. So, with the blessing of the unit's medical director, she started designing an iPad application specifically for kids in the Riley burn unit.
Called "My Burn Journey," the app introduces kids and their parents to the different rooms and procedures in the unit. Dougherty wrote the script and provided key input for her software developer.
Dougherty is not your typical entrepreneur. In fact, designing an app has changed the way she views her work. "If an idea comes to me, I'll be more willing to act on it, she says. "I think the app really helps the kids we're serving. We've upped our game."
A Spanish language version is in the works.
