TLC in the modern age

Having a sick child in the hospital is hard enough, but having no one to share your worries or frustrations, joys or triumphs with makes it even harder.

That’s why a new program — open to all patient families, but being pioneered by the Cardiovascular unit — that easily allows patient families to create their own Web sites is such a hit. Using a program called TLContact, parents can design a personalized “CarePage” in six easy steps.

The program allows them to post news and photographs of their hospitalized child so friends and family can see and read regular updates on the child’s condition. The site also lets well-wishers post notes of encouragement on an interactive message board.

Child Life Specialist Beth Donegan-Driscoll has seen how the CarePages transform a family’s stay at the hospital. “Most parents start using the program and think it’s a nice thing to have, but it quickly becomes vital to them because they can provide regular updates to all the people who are interested without having to spend all day or night on the phone.”

The site can be reached from any computer with Internet access by visiting the “Online Patient Care Page” link on the home page of www.childrenshospital.org or at www.tlcontact.com/chb. Visitors have to log in, and three different security settings allow parents to decide who gets to access the site.

“It only takes a few minutes to get a site up and running. We have instructions next to every bed so anyone who wants to do it, can,” says Janet McGillicuddy, Patient Services administrator for 6 East. “We even have families who already have sites ready when they get to the hospital before a surgery.”

For Brian and Michelle Gagne, who are from Vermont, the site they created for their daughter Angelina has been indispensable. “This Web site has been an incredible blessing to us,” says Michelle. “It gives us somewhere to go in the middle of the night when we need to know there’s someone out there for us.” –MC

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