Frank Cutitta was diagnosed with covid-19 and spent more than 10 weeks in hospital. For most of that time, he was alone in isolation but with digital health tools by his side. He shared his experience with the HMISS21 attendees on the Digital Health Tools that helped him while battling covid-19.
“My name is Frank Cutitta, and I am very happy, literally, to be here,” Cutitta told HIMSS21 attendees.
Frank, a former content director of Content Analytics and founder of HMISS Media Lab is now the founder of HealthTech Decisions Lab. While in hospital he observed which high-tech – and not-so-high-tech – tools he relied on throughout his battle with COVID-19.  Mark spent over a month in the intensive care unit and his encounter with technology in the hospital was the machines that kept him alive in there. His family created for him playlists to listen to and also set up an iPad to watch him.
Frank then narrated how he found the recovery phase very lonely as he spent 23 hours alone and only occasionally interacted with a masked clinician. In that recovery phase, he experienced the importance of Electronic Medical Records and how they can be helpful when people read them.
After leaving the hospital, Cutitta took advantage of remote patient monitoring technologies like a palm-sized EKG monitor, video telehealth appointments and Apple Health’s pedometer function. Â He also praised one of the lowest-tech devices he used: the shower chair, which allowed him to clean himself without getting fatigued.
“Those are the things I learned about how important the nexus of high-tech and low-tech really is,” he said.
Source: Healthcare IT News