LAKEWOOD RANCH (WSNN) – A Suncoast hospital is launching a smartphone app to help families stay connected with their loved ones in surgery. And it arrives at a time when it is especially needed.
It’s known as the “Snapchat for Hospitals.” And it’s giving families peace of mind, reducing worries over what is happening to loved ones in an operation room, because the app delivers real-time updates.
It’s called Electronic Access to Surgical Events, or EASE. It delivers updates on a surgical patient’s progress in the OR.
Lakewood Ranch Medical center launched the HIPAA Compliant app this month. Nurses can send real-time video, images, and text updates.
Lakewood Ranch OR Clinical Leader, Kim Meadows, says EASE alleviates communication burdens.
It’s a great way to kind of keep in touch, help alleviate some of that anxiety associated with surgery,” Meadows said.
EASE allows everyone to stay connected no matter where you are. The surgical patient can reach an unlimited number of selected people worldwide, just as long as the recipients have the app.
“Family members don’t have to be in the building, even a state or country to be able to receive these updates,” Meadows said. “And the patient is the one that selects the recipients of the messages. So they can select as many recipients as they want while they’re in surgery.”
EASE communicates in nine languages, the progress of a patient’s surgery.
“We’re heading to the operating room, going off to sleep, surgeries started, things are going well; those kinds of updates,” Meadows said.
Like Snapchat, the messages expire; in this case after about 60 seconds. And nothing is stored on the device.
It’s mainly a one–way communication app, but family members are able to respond with designated emojis.
In our time of coronavirus, it’s an invaluable tool.
“Not being able to be at the hospital with my son during these hard times with COVID, this really helped me by being updated,” an anonymous mother of a surgical patient said.
Meadows says the timing on launching EASE is perfect, as hospitals are limiting visitors.
“This wasn’t in response to the pandemic, but our timing for launch really couldn’t have been better, especially now since families aren’t allowed in the hospitals with their loved ones even during surgery,” Meadows said. “It’s a really stressful time for them compounded by the pandemic.”
EASE has been in the works for a couple of months with LWRMC is the pilot facility for all Universal Health Services-owned hospitals.
Since launch, Lakewood Ranch Medical has sent more than 100 messages to 11 states in just two weeks.
