Laptops in Hospital
In a previous post, some of the comments were about smart phones in hospitals.
I’m all for allowing patients to have laptops in hospital. I had my stroke in Hong Kong and I was allowed one there. It allowed me to do things like listen to Radio 5, talk on Skype, do the Sudokus in The Times and send e-mails, that I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.
I could also have done things like watch videos, which I never do anyway.
In Addenbrooke’s laptops were effectively banned and I don’t think it helped me.
The reason they are banned is that if they were allowed, it would mean they’d lose all that money they get from that crap Patientline system. The bandwidth wouldn’t be a problem, as they can now get enough Megabits easily.
The laptops could also be integrated into patient care and support. For instance, a physio in Hong Kong told me that typing would help my hands work properly again. She was right!
So let’s have some 21st century, healthcare thinking!
Remember too, that happy patients are less trouble for staff and might even leave earlier.
To me allowing laptops in hospital is a no-brainer. But then what do I know about healthcare? But I have seen good healthcare at work and know what works.
I am also in contact with universities, where they are developing computer games to help stroke patients. Let’s make those free and downloadable!
The Anonymous Widower 
VERY good idea. Write to your / our MPs?? Get Twitter or Facebook campaign going???
Comment by Karrie | January 2, 2011 |
In our local private hospital laptops are allowed with consultants permission. Of course, they dont have patientline, there is a phone by the bed and patients can make and recieve calls, although there is a charge for making calls. Patientline is simply a rip off.
All hospitals I have had anything to do with in the last year or so have allowed mobile phones, and when my dad was in for three weeks last year, I was able to have nice long chats with him.
When I worked at The Christie, one of the things patients often suggested they would like was an internet cafe.
Comment by liz | January 2, 2011 |
Could it be about power. The doctor knows what’s best. But imagine breaking your leg and being in hospital for six months like a friend of mine was fifty years ago. He had nothing to do except read. You could even use an iPad lying on your back! It should be allowed, unless there are good medical reasons to say no. And they shouldn’t be wi-fi, but wired, so if the doctor wanted to plug his in there would be a socket.
Comment by AnonW | January 2, 2011 |
as a citizen I agree. do you know if Addenbrookes or the NHS for that matter has a policy on this?
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Comment by eoinw@ireland.com | January 2, 2011 |
I was told off, by the sister! In Hong Kong, I was on the computer virtually all day, so at least I didn’t have to watch CNN all the time! So turn that round, what would the NHS do, if they had a non-English speaker in a bed for months! My children were born in the Middlesex and it was always like a League of Nations in there. One mother was a senior diplomat from the Chinese Legation and we never worked out who her husband was!
But if you look at some of the work being done by the University of Ulster and other places of creating software and games to help stroke patients, I’m sure that this will run and run.
Comment by AnonW | January 2, 2011 |
[…] put a post on this earlier and today as I travelled to try to see the eclipse, I got talking to a lady who […]
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