ViaTV Videophones Assist Hospice Providers in Minimizing Stress & Suffering in Dying Patients and their Families
Editor's Note: This is an update of a story that first appeared on the 8x8 website in July, 1997.

Dr. Gary Doolittle, medical director of the Kendallwood Hospice in Kansas City, MO, is a pioneer in the burgeoning field of medicine called Telehospice. With the advent and continuing improvement in POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) video communication, Doolittle states that 8x8 technology is helping change the way health care is delivered.

"It's bringing people separated by many miles together in a more complete way," said Doolittle. The Kendallwood Hospice program serves between 15 and 25 patients at a time, and a large percentage of these patients are sent home with 8x8's ViaTV Videophones so that care providers can see patients whenever necessary. The goal of a hospice is to provide support and care for people in the final stages of terminal diseases so they go through the dying process as comfortably as possible.

Doolittle says one of the big advantages of ViaTV Videophones over other Telehospice solutions is that "a patient could request a system in the morning and we could have it set up at their home in the afternoon. With hospice care, we literally don't have a week or two to get a system installed."

Care providers are using the ViaTV Videophone for direct care of patients, consultations with their caregivers, and evaluations with their social workers. Clinicians are able see patients without having to leave their offices or the patients having to leave their homes. One of the most useful applications of the ViaTV Videophones for hospice personnel is after-hours, on-call situations for pain control and caregiver support.

Doolittle recounted one incident that is indicative of the benefits of using ViaTV Videophones: "The nurse on-call received a call at her own home late at night from a caregiver, the patient's sister. The patient was a woman with lung cancer who was very confused. She was in pain. The sister was quite upset."

"The nurse using the 8x8 unit from her own home was able to talk to both the patient and the caregiver and calm them down. She assessed the situation, advised the caregiver on pain control and calmed the patient, talking her into going to bed." The patient resided forty minutes away. The time and suffering saved was significant for all involved: the patient, most importantly, but also for the caregiver and the nurse as well. Could an audio call have been as effective? Dr. Doolittle doesn't think so.

"There's a distinct advantage to using a video monitor as opposed to a regular phone call. We cannot over-estimate the information that is added when the health care provider can actually SEE the patient. The ViaTV allows for the hospice nurse to see the patient, and this makes a big difference in the ability to assess and treat."

Doolittle, who is affiliated with the Kansas Telemedicine Project, had been researching videophones for some time. He was delighted when he came across the 8x8 product in January of 1997.

"The price was very competitive and the quality was very good compared to other videophones that cost thousands of dollars. When we saw that we could get 5 or 6 ViaTV Videophones for the price of one other videophone, it became clear which product to buy. However, besides the price, it was also important that the 8x8 units were user friendly. "

"With a population of hospice patients, it is essential to avoid anything that would add tension or confusion to the situation. Originally, we purchased 13" TVs and connected them with ViaTV Set-top models making them one unit." When 8x8 introduced the ViaTV Desktop model with built-in LCD screen in early 1998, the hospice purchased a few and was delighted to have a videophone even more simple to set up. Doolittle said, "All we have to do is take the unit out of the box and plug it in."

"The ViaTV Videophone is very user friendly and the still-image quality (the snap-shot featured) is excellent. It's an incredible tool for helping us provide the best possible care to our patients," states Dr. Doolittle.

"For patients whose caregivers may work during the day, calls via the Telehospice system can help to decrease the isolation factor. A call can put them in touch with a physician or nurse, social worker, chaplain or others involved in their care."

Dr. Doolittle says ViaTV Videophones also serve the needs of the treatment team, allowing members to meet even when they can't be in the same location. "The savings in windshield time alone is huge," said Doolittle

From the patient's viewpoint, Doolittle says, "The theme that keeps coming up is 'security'. Having a videophone really adds to their comfort level."

Based on the success at Kendallwood, Doolittle says that he will be working with a much larger hospice in Wichita, KS in the near future, setting up a Telehospice program using ViaTV Videophones.