LOW-TECH GADGET RESONATES AMONG COVID 19 PATIENTS

It's a challenging time for families with loved ones in the hospital who are being treated for COVID-19.

Visitors aren't allowed in many medical facilities and prohibited from sitting bedside with relatives receiving treatment in intensive care units.

That's why a local doctor came up with a way to connect patients and their families, according to KCRA 3 News.

The Human Connection program uses (relatively) low-cost “old-tech” tape recorders to provide needed comfort for patients and to help put their families' minds at ease.

"I think it's very hard for the family members ... to feel so helpless," said Dr. Christine Bell, a Sacramento-area anesthesiologist. "I just thought this would be a nice way to help."

Toward the beginning of the pandemic, Bell came up with the idea for the program that captures family-produced audio for patients to listen to as they receive treatment. Bell explained that she wanted to help coronavirus patients who are not allowed to have visitors. The program also gives their loved ones -- who desperately want to express how much they care -- a chance to do just that.

Here's how it works. Cassette recorders and tapes are given to families that can record messages or special sounds for their loved ones staying in the ICU. Then, a nurse or doctor can simply set the player next to the patient's bedside, press play, and the message runs until the tape stops.

"When your person is in the ICU, what do you really do?" questioned Bell. "Usually, you're sitting in the room with them, talking to them or, if other family members are there, you're having that conversation and you're hoping that they're listening, and hearing, and gaining something from knowing that there are people present."

Bell initially purchased iPads and handheld digital voice recorders to distribute to area hospitals. Those devices turned out to be cost-prohibitive to hand out in large quantities and labor-intensive for health care workers to keep sanitized and functioning for the patients. That’s why she quickly changed course and explored deploying classic tape recorders to do the job. The recorders are easy to use by worried family members at a time when their loved ones’ health is, and needs to be, top of mind.

“I wanted to decrease family burden, which I think is the biggest part,” said Bell.