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Send Family Text Updates Live from the OR
No cell phones in the OR, but you might want
to bend that rule for an app that lets you send
text updates during surgery to a patient's
family and friends. It's called EASE (easeap-
plications.com). The Lehigh Valley Health
Network in Allentown, Pa., uses EASE
to send designated loved ones updates
on patients undergoing procedures
lasting longer than one hour. The
app is free for patients and their
family and friends, but there's a
fee for hospitals and surgical cen-
ters.
Patients can invite as many
contacts from their phone as they
would like to get updates on their knee replacement or spinal
fusion. All texts, photos and videos disappear after 60 seconds of
viewing them. Nothing is saved on the recipient's device.
At Lehigh, once the procedure starts, the OR team sends texts
and pictures to those approved by the patient. Messages are per-
sonalized and crafted based on the surgical procedure. The com-
munication is mostly one-way, although the RNs sometimes get
back emojis from those receiving messages, says Hope Johnson,
DNP, MBA, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, the director of perioperative
services at Lehigh Valley Health Network.
Nearly 2,500 people have registered for the app, says Ms.
Johnson. Relatives remark that the app eliminates the guessing
and feeling in the dark while waiting. As one said, "I've sat
• ANTI-ANXIETY APP An app lets family members and
friends receive text updates.
