Originally published at https://www.kfor.com on May 2, 2020
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – With so many cases of COVID-19 and deaths in nursing homes in Oklahoma, many are scrambling for safe solutions.
One Oklahoma-City based company is now offering a service that allows doctors to visit and monitor patients in nursing homes and hospitals without PPE or an in-person visit.
Communication platform, Monscierge has been in business for about 10 years with a focus on the hotel and hospitality industries but they’re adding to that model during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The first idea that came to mind is how we could use our communication platform for doctors and nurses to communicate with patients via video to help reduce the need for PPE,” said Monscierge CEO Marcus Robinson.
In addition to hospitals, Robinson and his team also saw the big need in nursing homes, where in many cases the virus has spread quickly.
“We’re seeing a big demand for this type of technology for that situation,” he said.
Through Monscierge, patients, doctors and nurses can connect with just one touch of a button.
It also allows doctors and nurses to monitor patients from their room or hospital room remotely.
“So they can keep visual contact from the doctor’s station or nurses’s station which is different from a Skype or FaceTime Call,” said Robinson.
He says this technology can reduce the need for hazmat suits and other forms of PPE, a precious commodity – but healthcare workers say it also can be a source of comfort for patients.
“They said the fact that using the technology allowed them to share a smile with the patient was a big thing that allowed them to feel comfortable when many of them are fearful or scared and we thought that was a really cool thing to come out of it as well,” said Robinson.
Monscierge launched this new service about 2 weeks ago and customers from across the country and world have been contacting them.
They’ll be installing their first service next week.