Our Journey with Tube Feeding 2.1

The Emily Center at Phoenix Children’s Hospital has introduced the Our Journey™ with Tube Feeding app, a resource aimed at supporting families with children who require tube feeding. This tool is intended to bridge the gap between hospital care and home management by providing essential information for caregivers as they prepare to take their child home. Notably, aspects of the application can also be beneficial for navigating clinic or emergency room visits.

Parents often find themselves in an overwhelming environment during hospitalization, where healthcare professionals may communicate using technical language without ensuring comprehension. The ability to articulate information in one’s own words is a crucial indicator of understanding.

The Our Journey™ with Tube Feeding app is crafted to achieve several important objectives:

• Facilitate ongoing communication between families and the healthcare team from admission through to discharge.
• Equip parents with critical knowledge needed prior to leaving the hospital.
• Provide a secure space for parents to express uncertainties and inquire about what they do not fully grasp.
• Encourage families to identify key information or skills that need to be conveyed to their healthcare providers, allowing for clarification and correction of any misunderstandings.
• Instill confidence in families regarding their ability to care for their child at home post-discharge, including recognizing potential issues and appropriate responses.

About The Emily Center at Phoenix Children’s Hospital: Founded in 1990 by parents seeking accessible information after the loss of their daughter Emily Anderson to leukemia, The Emily Center aims to provide accurate, comprehensible pediatric health information at no cost to families throughout Arizona. More details are available at emilycenter.org or on Twitter @emilycenter.

The development of the Our Journey™ with Tube Feeding mobile app was made possible through a grant from Cox.