During the recent Amsterdam Symposium, Irma gave a pitch about hospital-displaced care: phototherapy at home. Read the pitch here.
It is 5 p.m. The neonatology department is very busy. A healthy, full-term neonate is announced with a too-high bilirubin level. This neonate needs phototherapy. The parents walk in, the mother is very sad, and the father looks dejected. “Everything was going so well at home,” the father says, bewildered.
You probably recognize this situation.
How nice would it be if you could offer phototherapy in the home situation? All this in the context of hospital-displaced care and providing the right care in the right place.
This neonate meets the criteria for phototherapy at home. The parents are relieved that their child can go home again. The nurse prepares the parents with instructions for phototherapy at home.
You might think: “That’s great, we want that too” or “Could this be a solution for the admission capacity?” Then, of course, the questions arise about how to approach this and whether it is safe.
If this process is well organized and responsibilities are properly safeguarded, this treatment can take place at home in a safe and responsible manner. Many disciplines come together in the project group to prepare for this process. These include a pediatrician, nurses, laboratory, medical technology, and – very importantly – primary care.
In addition to a plan of action, it also requires validated phototherapy equipment that offers effective therapy and guarantees safety. The BiliCocoon Bag offers this possibility.
What are the advantages of the BiliCocoon Bag?
- It has intensive, homogeneous phototherapy
- Because the Bag offers security in the form of a sleeping bag, the neonate experiences less stress and nuisance from the bright light
- The treatment does not have to be interrupted for feeding and cuddling
- Breastfeeding is possible
- An additional advantage is that the bilirubin decreases faster and the therapy duration is shorter
This makes the BiliCocoon Bag not only suitable for phototherapy in the home situation, but also in the hospital. Treatment in a familiar environment causes much less stress for parents. The phototherapy treatment can take place at home in a safe, responsible, and effective manner.
Do you have any questions about this or would you like to know more about how other hospitals have succeeded in starting phototherapy at home? Please contact me or read our other blogs about phototherapy at home.
