mHealth and eHealth Applications for a Medicalized Quarantine Hotel during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: In Taiwan, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has risen significantly in May 2021. The second wave of the epidemic occurred in May 2022. mHealth (mobile health, social media communities) and eHealth (electronic health, Hospital Information System) can play an important role in this pandemic by minimizing the spread of the virus, leveraging health care providers' time, and alleviating the challenges of medical education. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the process of using mHealth and eHealth to build a medicalized quarantine hotel (MQH) and understand the physical and mental impact of COVID-19 on patients admitted to the MQH. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, data from 357 patients who stayed at the MQH were collected and their psychological symptoms were assessed using an online Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS). Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, univariate analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 35.5 ± 17.6 years, and 52.1% (n = 186) of them were males. Altogether, 25.2% (n = 90) of the patients had virtual visits. The average duration of the hotel stay was 6.8 ± 1.4 days, and five patients (0.01%) were transferred to the hospital. The three most common symptoms reported were cough (39%), followed by the sore throat (22.8%), and stuffy/runny nose (18.9%). Most patients achieved a total BSRS score of 0 to 5 points (3,569/91.0%), with trouble falling asleep (0.65 ± 0.65), feeling tense or high-strung (0.31 ± 0.66), and feeling down or depressed (0.27 ± 0.62) scoring highest. The BSRS score was the highest on the first day. The sex of the patients was significantly related to the BSRS score (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: mHealth and eHealth can be used to further monitor an individual's physiological and psychological states. Early intervention measures are needed to improve health care quality.

Tracking Hospital Visitors/Chaperones during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease with strong infectious power and fatality rate. To protect national health, government agencies have regulations on hospital chaperoning and visiting. This article presents the development and implementation of a monitoring system for hospital visiting and chaperoning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to create a hospital visiting and chaperoning monitor system that uses nation-wide data sources to more accurately screen hospital visitors and chaperones, assist contract tracing, and prevent transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. METHODS: This project was implemented in 57 ward units of an academic medical center. The system was connected to the National Health Insurance (NHI) system and Hospital Information System (HIS), and built on the data of everyone who accessed either the hospital or ward using an NHI smart card or national identification card. To shorten the time for manual identification, we also developed a new system of "app for appointment visits and chaperones" to make appointments online. RESULTS: After the implementation of the system, data from visitors and chaperones in the nursing information system could be accessed. Given that all data were registered in the HIS visiting/chaperoning monitor system, an epidemic investigation could be performed whenever there was a confirmed case. CONCLUSION: Through the establishment of this system, people entering the ward can be accurately controlled, and all the contacts of potential cases can be traced.

The Application of an Integrated IHCA Information System to Analysis the Related Indicators.

In-Hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is a high risk of patient's safety issue in medical institutions, the incidence and patient's outcome of IHCA is an important indicator of ability of medical treatment and emergency medical quality of hospital. By building up the IHCA information system, we can save the time of typing and statistical data, save the consumption of paper and storage space, managers can view immediately data, track progress and confirm the correctness of the information, and Index values can be rendered immediately.

Associations of exposure to noise with physiological and psychological outcomes among post-cardiac surgery patients in ICUs.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to study the associations of noise with heart rate, blood pressure, and perceived psychological and physiological responses among post-cardiac surgery patients in ICUs. METHODS: Forty patients participated in this study after recovering from anesthesia. A sound-level meter was placed at bedsides to measure noise level for 42 hours, and patients' heart rate and blood pressure were recorded every 5 minutes. Patients were also interviewed for their perceived psychological/physiological responses. RESULTS: The average noise level was between 59.0 and 60.8 dB(A) at the study site. Annoyance and insomnia were the respective psychological and physiological responses reported most often among the patients. Although noise level, irrespective of measures, was not observed to be significantly associated with the self-assessed psychological and physiological responses, it was significantly associated with both heart rate and blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that the noise in ICUs may adversely affect the heart rate and blood pressure of patients, which warrants the attention of hospital administrators and health care workers.

Associations of exposure to noise with physiological and psychological outcomes among post-cardiac surgery patients in ICUs

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to study the associations of noise with heart rate, blood pressure, and perceived psychological and physiological responses among post-cardiac surgery patients in ICUs. METHODS: Forty patients participated in this study after recovering from anesthesia. A sound-level meter was placed at bedsides to measure noise level for 42 hours, and patients' heart rate and blood pressure were recorded every 5 minutes. Patients were also interviewed for their perceived psychological/physiological responses. RESULTS: The average noise level was between 59.0 and 60.8 dB(A) at the study site. Annoyance and insomnia were the respective psychological and physiological responses reported most often among the patients. Although noise level, irrespective of measures, was not observed to be significantly associated with the self-assessed psychological and physiological responses, it was significantly associated with both heart rate and blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that the noise in ICUs may adversely affect the heart rate and blood pressure of patients, which warrants the attention of hospital administrators and health care workers.