Never alone again
IntensivKontakt supplies hospitals with tablet computers complete with pre-installed software. These tablets enable patients and their loved ones to keep in touch by means of video calls, voicemails, videos and photos.
Patients are motivated, their loved ones are well-informed and nursing staff can spend more time on patient care. IntensivKontakt thus helps to increase the hospital's efficiency. At the same time, the start-up contributes to better digital infrastructure in the health sector by providing a complete hard- and software solution complying with data protection regulations.
Family and friends of inhospital patients receive regular updates about the patient’s state of health. This means the demand for ward telephones falls significantly and hospital personnel gain valuable time to care for other patients. What's more, patients recover faster, relatives develop less mental illnesses and thus bed occupancy is reduced.
Family and friends can aid the recovery process of loved ones in the hospital by providing active support and can help to make decisions about treatment. Isolated patients feel less lonely, which can reduce depression and delirium.
Guidlines recommend the use of digital communications in the treatment and care of (isolated) patients. Moreover, virtual visits have proven to reduce distress and anxiety in relatives and were identified as one of the few modifiable risk factors for delirium and prolonged stay in patients.
Study: Hamburg-Eppendorf University hospital and Helios hospital in Schwerin are currently developing a multicenter randomized controlled intervention trial investigating digital communication between ICU patients and their loved ones. Planning began 2022 and the trail is expected to run from 2024 – 2026. Target values in the study include the reduction of anxiety, depression and PICS/PICS-F (Post-Intensive Care Syndrome/Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family) and also shorter artificial ventilation times, reduced occurrence of delirium and PTSD, and earlier discharge of patients.
