Nebraska Medicine recently introduced bedside patient tablets to help improve the patient experience, an initiative made possible due to donations from Cox Communications/Cox Business and Pat and Ronald Braun, MD, a retired anesthesiologist and alumnus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine.

Through their generous donations, Nebraska Medicine was able to purchase 340 iPads, making bedside tablets available to all patient rooms at Nebraska Medical Center. 

“We’ve found that when we can make it easier for patients to understand their treatment plan, communicate with their providers and become engaged in their care, this results in a more positive experience, better compliance and improved outcomes,” says Sarah Richards, MD, Nebraska Medicine medical director for Patient and Provider Experience.  “After a six-month pilot program, we quickly discovered how valuable the tablets were. The donations really sped up the entire implementation process, allowing us to deploy them hospitalwide.” 

Since graduating from UNMC in 1965, Dr. Braun has donated funds to a variety of initiatives at both the hospital and UNMC.  “I can’t imagine I’d been as successful, had it not been for my education and training at UNMC,” says Dr. Braun, who has a special interest in technology and healthcare. Now that I am in a position to help, I like to give back when I find something that matches my goals and interests.” 

Incorporating technology into patient care was the driving factor for Cox’s donation as well. “Cox Communications and Cox Business have a solid commitment to creating moments of real human connection – in person and through the use of technology,” says Calli Hite, senior public affairs manager at Cox Communications. “During a visit last summer, we witnessed firsthand the valuable role that a strong connection and communication platform can play in facilitating care between providers and patients and their families. We saw the patient bedside tablet program as an important vehicle to enhance those connections.” 

The One Chart | Patient Bedside tablet program, also available on a mobile app, is an extension of Nebraska Medicine One Chart | Patient, an online patient portal that allows patients to access their medical records, see photos and information about their care team, schedule appointments and pay bills. 

“At the bedside, it has become a vital tool that helps educate our patients about their care condition, care plan, medications, test results and discharge plans,” says Lynn Borstelmann, RN, Nebraska Medicine executive director of Enterprise Applications, who oversees the patient portal. 

Patient surveys have been extremely positive about the new technology. “Patients love it and so do our nurses,” notes Sami Vasistha, project manager. “Our patients are more engaged and it allows our nurses to dedicate more time to clinical and patient care.  We are so grateful to our donors who realize the importance of providing tools to our patients that can help improve their overall care and experience.”