Doctor tells patient he doesn't have long to live through hospital robot's video screen
Doctor tells patient he doesn't have long to live through
hospital robot's video screen
By Jana Katsuyama & Leslie Dyste MAR 08 2019 10:55AM
EST
FREMONT, Calif. (KTVU) - When Ernest Quintana went into
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center's emergency department in Fremont on Sunday,
his wife of 58 years, his son, daughter and
granddaughter all worried about the 79-year-old man.
They say it was hard enough to learn that his lungs were
failing, but they couldn't believe it when a hospital robot entered his room
and they got the news through a doctor on the robot's video screen.
Quintana's granddaughter was in the ICU by his side, and
she said at first the nurse came in.
"The nurse came around and said the doctor was going
to make rounds and I thought 'OK, no big deal, I'm here,' " said Annalisia
Wilharm.
A short time later, a robot arrived in the room. A doctor
appeared on a video screen. Wilharm took cell phone video so she could show her
mother and grandmother the test results.
"When I took the video, I didn't realize all of this
was going to unfold," she said.
Over the robot's video screen, Wilharm says she and her
grandfather learned that Quintana's lungs were failing and he did not have long
to live.
"You might not make it home," the doctor said
on the screen.
Wilharm says that heartbreaking news hurt even more,
delivered through a machine.
"Devastated. I was going to lose my grandfather. We
knew that this was coming and that he was very sick. But I don't think somebody
should get the news delivered that way. It should have been a human being come
in," Wilharm said.
Daughter Catherine Quintana says the family is also upset
because her father had trouble hearing the doctor through the robot's speaker
forcing Wilharm to relay the terrible news.
"He's already has a problem hearing, so with that
and everything he couldn't hear very well. She had to repeat everything the
doctor was saying," Wilharm said.
The Quintana family says they hope this never happens to
another family.
"We offer our sincere condolences," said Kaiser
Permanente Senior Vice-President Michelle Gaskill-Hames in a written statement,
"We use video technology as an appropriate enhancement to the care team,
and a way to bring additional consultative expertise to the bedside."
Catherine Quintana said she and her mother asked hospital
staff about how the robot was used.
"It's policy, that's what we do now. That's what we
were told," said Catherine Quintana.
"This is a highly unusual circumstance. We regret falling short in meeting the
patient's and family's expectations in this situation and we will use this as
an opportunity to review our practices and standards with the care team,"
said the Kaiser statement.
Then Quintana family hopes Kaiser and any other hospitals
with robots will review their policies and how they are integrating the
technology into patients' care. Quintana ended up dying on Wednesday.
"I don't want this to happen to anyone else. It just
shouldn't happen," Catherine Quintana said.
__________________________
Full Statement from Michelle Gaskill-Hames, Senior Vice
President and Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente Greater Southern Alameda County:
"On behalf of Kaiser Permanente and our caregivers
in Fremont, we offer our sincere condolences. It is always deeply painful to
lose a beloved family member and friend. While we cannot comment on specifics
of an individual's medical care due to privacy laws, we take this very
seriously and have reached out to the family to discuss their concerns. We use
video technology as an appropriate enhancement to the care team, and a way to
bring additional consultative expertise to the bedside. Our health care staff
receive extensive training in the use of telemedicine, but video technology is
not used as a replacement for in-person evaluations and conversations with
patients. In every aspect of our care, and especially when communicating
difficult information, we do so with compassion in a personal manner. This is a
highly unusual circumstance. We regret falling
short in meeting the patient's and family's expectations in this situation and
we will use this as an opportunity to review our practices and standards with
the care team."
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