MacRumors reports that according to TechCrunch, Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles is currently carrying out a pilot program using iPads, not just as a means of keeping patients informed, but also as a way of enabling parents in the NICU to interact with their children when there is a high risk of spreading infection.
As part of the pilot, all patients can view their electronic health information on iPads using the My C-Link app. Not only is this a great way of keeping patients informed, it also frees up nurses’ workloads, and is a way of showing patients and family members educational videos on demand.
Meanwhile, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, new parents have been using FaceTime on their iPads to have at least a small degree of contact with their newborn babies that are at a high risk of infection. While still no substitute for actual contact, parents and babies can at least have some sort of bond via their iPads.
Cedars-Sinai doctor Shaun Miller told TechCrunch that next the hospital has plans for “opening up APIs and adding data standards” to further increase and improve communication.
The Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, California, has a similar program, with a patient care and information system using Apple TV, iPad, and big flat-screen TVs in all of the hospital’s 245 rooms.
Source: Cedars-Sinai pilot uses Apple's iPad to provide patient with data, control infection in NICU
