IPads connect isolated coronavirus patients to the ‘outside world’ at USC-VHH
For patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and isolated on the fourth floor of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital — where no visitors are admitted — video calls might serve as the sole connection with loved ones or means to ask a nurse a quick question without anyone having to don layers of protective gear.
“It helps them to feel connected to the outside world — and to us,” said Patch Cunanan, a nurse who works on the floor. The hospital provides patients who don’t have smartphones access with iPads.
An on-site fleet of 15 iPads at the hospital has grown to 61, following a recent donation from Glendale city officials and a private donor.
Currently, the hospital is treating seven patients who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, in addition to another 20 awaiting results, according to the hospital’s virtual dashboard that it updates daily.
There were 142 confirmed cases of the virus throughout Glendale as of Monday afternoon, and those numbers are expected to grow at least through the end of April, according to projections cited by hospital officials.
USC-VHH reported the city’s first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in mid-March.
“[With the iPads], we can still meet the emotional side of our patient’s needs as they heal from whatever they have — whether it’s COVID-19 or anything else,” said Keith Hobbs, chief executive of USC-VHH.
“Patients just love it, being able to see faces,” Cunanan said.
With family and friends no longer permitted to even set foot on the floor where COVID-19 patients are being treated, the hospital has been fielding a lot more phone calls from concerned loved ones checking in on patients, Cunanan said.
“They can’t see them, which is really hard,” Cunanan said. “At least now they can see them through their iPads.”
The devices are also helping more directly in treatment.
Nurses in hospital settings typically visit patients hourly, known as rounds, to see how they’re doing. That can’t be done when treating COVID-19 patients because nurses themselves must take precautions to avoid getting infected and potentially spreading the virus to their own families, Cunanan said.
Now nurses can call isolated patients using their iPads or smartphones.
It’s also useful for nurses to know exactly what a patient needs before suiting up in full protective gear, like masks, goggles and gowns — some of which might be in short supply or not reusable — and entering the room.
For example, if an isolated patient is having trouble turning up the volume on their TV, a nurse can help the patient through the steps via a video instead of risking entering the room, Hobbs said.
“That’s preserving and extending the life of our [protective gear] by utilizing the technology for that as well,” he said.
There’s been a learning curve for some older patients who might not be fluent in smart technology, Cunanan said.
However, the large size of the iPads and limited number of icons a patient can click on has made it relatively easy for non-digital natives to get the hang of it, she added.