King’s Daughters Medical Center Uses Telemedicine Internally to Treat COVID-19 Patients
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Hospitalist to visit with each patient on the COVID-19 unit via a computer screen. A Nurse Practitioner is in the room with the patient during the visit with a device while the physician is in another part of the hospital on a separate device.
The interaction with each patient is as if the physician is in the room – but it’s a virtual visit. The Nurse Practitioner is present and can interrupt for either party and is also a second set of eyes and a voice for the physician.
Utilizing telemedicine in this manner allows KDMC to conserve personal protection equipment (PPE) while greatly reducing exposure and cross-contamination. Cheri Brooks, KDMC’s Chief Nursing Officer said, “This is a wonderful tool for us to have. It cuts down on the number of people that have exposure to the virus as well as conserving precious PPE. Our ability to utilize technology and adapt while providing quality care for our patients is amazing.”
Joe Farr, BSN, RN, Clinical Applications Coordinator said, “It is our community, and we want to meet their needs while protecting our patients and staff in the safest environment possible. These virtual visits are not about avoiding patient contact but rather using technology to reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination and exposure for everyone involved.”
KDMC is currently exploring how this technology can be utilized across different areas of patient care during this outbreak of COVID-19. The landscape of healthcare may have changed but KDMC’s mission of “Providing quality health and wellness in a Christian environment” has not. #KDMCHealthcareHeroes
