There’s No Place Like Home: A Virtual Ward Patient’s Story in His Own Words
It’s no secret that long hospital stays can be difficult for patients. Constant lights and sounds can make it hard for patients to get a good night’s sleep. Isolation in the hospital and limited visitor policies contribute to loneliness, boredom, and even symptoms of depression.
Care-at-home programs offer many patients the ability to go home sooner and recover safely while surrounded by the people and things they love. After seven days in hospital, the virtual ward at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital provided Leigh Jones with an entirely different care experience: one that allowed him to go home, but continue his treatment and maintain the security of round-the-clock care supervision.
“I actually had the green light to go home, which was so brilliant”
Leigh Jones, NNUH virtual ward patient
Watch Leigh describe his virtual ward experience and why it made such a difference in his physical and mental health.
What program elements contribute to enthusiastic reviews like Leigh’s?
Patients love getting to go home sooner, but they may also have some concerns about getting the care they need in a remote context. Above all else, patients must feel the quality and safety of their care at home experience. Leigh was able to transfer home sooner because Norfolk and Norwich had the tools and workflows in place to enable early discharge and subsequent care at home.
“I felt so reassured that I had the 24 hour monitors, that if there was a problem, they would get in touch with me.”
Leigh Jones, NNUH virtual ward patient
Designing a care-at-home program that results in enthusiastic reviews like Leigh’s requires attention to detail. These are the key ways Norfolk and Norwich leveraged the Current Health platform to give Leigh an excellent experience:
- Face-to-face program introduction and education before he left the hospital
- Simple, 10-minute equipment setup process
- An initial patient setup call from a nurse to ensure he was connected and to answer any questions
- 24/7 continuous passive monitoring, which delivered peace of mind without interfering in his day
- Daily video calls with his care team
- An “I’m not feeling well” button that triggered alarm to for his care team
Want to learn more about building a care-at-home program? Check out our Buyer’s Guide.
