Web Therapy: Enhancing Patient Communication with Web Access

According to Jennifer Lyons' chart, she's just a bad slip and fall who's lucky enough to be on her way to a full recovery.

But to Jennifer, who is lying in bed with a broken mandible and broken limbs, nothing could be further from the truth. Jen was visiting the city on a business trip when her accident happened, and now she's lying in a bed 2,000 miles away from her family. Although her husband is flying in later tonight, never in her life has Jennifer felt more disconnected. That is, until her nurse points out the revolutionary screen standing next to her bed. Even though she can't move her mouth, two minutes later, Jennifer is catching up with her children.

Two floors down, Rebecca Forrester is also lying in bed with no family members around her. She's in her eighties and the fall she took is already developing a complication ? pneumonia. Her daughter is working in Tokyo and will take a day to get to her side ? a day Rebecca may not have. With no telephones in this ICU, Rebecca knows if her daughter doesn't make it to her in time, she may never be able to speak to her again. Until a nurses' aide enters with a wireless web pad. A minute later, Rebecca and her daughter are talking.

In a growing number of hospitals nationwide, hooking up your patients has just taken on a whole new meaning. Whether via wireless web pads, or bedside units, patient Internet access is revolutionizing patient care and patient communication.

Originally conceived as a way to reduce boredom and facilitate patient education, the units quickly began to add other features including relaxation videos, local TV channels, video games and telephones, besides videos and information patients can access on specific healthcare issues. Feedback is already showing what medical professionals have suspected for years -- people simply feel better when they're active and connected with the world around them. Even video games ? just a welcome diversion for the rest of us ? help patients take theirs mind off pain, requiring less pain medication. But patient Internet manufacturers didn't stop there. They also found a way to add a host of applications that increase bedside patient care in ways never before possible, by bringing the information age right to the bedside.

Many systems now integrate electronic medical record systems, bar code medication systems and even digital imaging directly into the web screen units. This means that doctors and nurses can do chart notes, look up lab results and in some cases order or dispense medications without leaving the patient's bedside. The web screens also make it easy to view diagnostic images or go over them with the patient. Not only does this save time and energy, it increases patient privacy.

But for the patients, it's all about facilitating communication whenever they need it ? with loved ones, with friends or even with work. Just because someone is hospitalized doesn't mean they have to be isolated. For Jennifer Lyons, being able to communicate with her children means everything. Not only does she feel connected, because she can check in with them a few times a day, she feels more able to relax knowing that everything is fine at home.

As for Rebecca, she didn't fare as well. The pneumonia took hold and her daughter was unable to get to the hospital quickly enough to be with her before she passed away. But with the wireless web pad and a little help from her nurses' aide, Rebecca and her daughter spent the rest of the day writing back and forth, telling stories, sharing memories and making sure they said everything to each other, that they wanted to say. And to them, that made all the difference. Priceless.

For tools you and your staff can use to facilitate patient communication download a free copy of the Seven Steps to Successful Notification System, in PDF format, at the Next of Kin Education Project web site. Along with the Information Kit, you'll find patient chart pages and notification worksheets using the Seven Steps, that you can purchase and customize to use as part of your own charting system. You'll find them on the NOKEP web site along with reminder products like mouse pads, posters and coffee mugs, to keep the Seven Steps at your staff's fingertips.

Laura Greenwald, CEO/The Next of Kin Education Project nokepinfokit@juno.com

The Seven Steps Information Kit can be downloaded free of charge at http://clik.to/7steps The Reminder Products can be purchased at our NOKEP store http://www.cafeshops.com/7steps

---

Pharmaceuticals: The Next Frontier in America?s War on Drugs

America's war on drugs, which has been fought in the... Read More

Robotic Future of Hospitals; Pandemic Prevention and Bio-Terrorist Attack

There is a huge concern in the medical industry that... Read More

Are You Sometimes Confused by Written Medical Instructions?

Now, imagine what it would be like if you were... Read More

Dr. Will Horsley, M.D.

Dr. Horsley is Cornea fellowship trained and Lasik board certified... Read More

Talking Money with Your Doctor: Drugs and Tests for Less

Would you buy groceries without knowing their prices? I suspect... Read More

Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthrtis: Science or Speculation

There are a lot of fabulous stories about Cetyl Myristoleate... Read More

FDA Orders Search Engines to Stop Online Pharmacies

How Does Online Pharmacies Affect Pharmacy Leaders?With cheaper drugs made... Read More

Your Kidney Function Really Matters: A Lighter Look at What You Need to Know to Prevent Adverse Dru

When you (or loved ones) are taking prescription or over... Read More

Cholesterol Prescription Medications Can Kill You

While there are numerous options for people to lower cholesterol... Read More

Stopping Hospital Infections

Each year hospitals end up killing twice as many people... Read More

Viga Lies Cause Potential Fatalities

Viga and Viga for Women is a dietary supplement sold... Read More

Web Therapy: Enhancing Patient Communication with Web Access

According to Jennifer Lyons' chart, she's just a bad slip... Read More

Considerations in Distance Education for the Medical Assistant Instructor

Medical Assistant distance education is emerging to meet the demands... Read More

Ulcers Are No Laughing Matter

Peptic ulcers, which are in the stomach and the duodenum... Read More

Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine, over 2000 years old, is an ancient form... Read More

Lunesta Revealed: 7 Things You Must Know Before You Buy Lunesta Prescriptions

Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a... Read More

Lunesta For Insomnia: A Guide To Compare Generic Lunesta ( Eszopiclone )

We all know that there's no such thing as cheap... Read More

Lamisil Side Effects Lawyer: Lamisil Tablet

While the recent Lamisil commercial featuring Digger, a disgusting cartoon... Read More

Family Notification in Seven Quick and Easy Steps

The Seven Steps to Successful Notification is an easy-to-use system... Read More

Meridia Lawyer: Meridia Diet Pill Side Effects

Following the recall of Fen-Phen and Redux in 1999 (two... Read More

Serevent Side Effects Put Serevent in Top 5 Most Dangerous Drugs

Serevent is an asthma inhalation medication, a bronchodilator, that relaxes... Read More

Cholesterol Treatments Options: Statins

Satins are pharmacuetical drugs that work by restricting the enzyme... Read More

Bextra and Vioxx -- Tips for Arthritis Relief Without Them

The recent withdrawal of Vioxx and Bextra from the marketplace,... Read More

Paxil Recall Lawyer Discusses Paxil Addiction

Paxil went on the market in 1992 at the height... Read More

Redux Lawyer Discusses Fen-Phen Fad

In the early nineties, Redux was the original miracle diet... Read More

Bextra and Vioxx Withdrawal Spurs Price Increase Among Rivals

The market for painkillers is huge. People don't like pain... Read More

Comfortable, Affordable Lab Coats for the Health Care Professional

When a health care professional uses lab coats it conveys... Read More

The Medical Community Changes Its Mind

How many of us have taken aspirin or a similar... Read More

Environmental Medicine

Our modern preservatives and other pollutants like yellow dye no.... Read More

Tempest in a Tea Cup, Wisdom in a Sake Cup

What an oxymoron the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has... Read More

Lunesta Memory Problems

Lunesta may be the only sleeping pill that is FDA... Read More

Testosterone Therapy in XXI Century

Nowadays many people are familiar with the appellation of "low... Read More

4 Reasons to Feel Safe Submitting an Electronic Medical Claim

Electronic Medical ClaimFor years, both practices and patients have had... Read More