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Being in a hospital room is not a good time for anyone. But being in a smart room – as expected by Valley Health System – can improve the experience.
Healthcare systems serving patients in New Jersey and southern New York announced the construction of a new hospital in 2017, and that’s when the idea of a smart room was born. Health system officials argue that if the organization is creating an entirely new facility, it must rethink its patient rooms in a way that provides a better experience for both patients. and clinical staff.
“We brought together everyone involved in patient care and set our goals,” said Marcia Kuipers, systems specialist and project manager at Valley Health System. “We want patients and families to have more say in what’s going on in their room, more control over their environment. We want them to get things done without calling a doctor. We want to make it easier for our staff, giving them all the information at their fingertips. And we still want to keep the personal relationship we have with our patients.”
With input from staff and patient representatives, as well as a partnership with medical technology company eVideon, the vision of the smart room began to take shape.
A standout feature of the smart room is the 75-inch television set at the foot of the bed. Patients will be able to stay entertained, but will also have access to educational videos and built-in whiteboards, including pertinent information such as their plan of care. A location tracking system will alert the patient to who is entering the room, whether it is a nurse or another member of clinical staff. And patients will have access to a bedside “companion” tablet, allowing them to watch videos or video chat with their family or doctors if needed.
A separate screen placed outside the room will provide staff with up-to-date information on what is needed for patient care and they will have the ability to display diagnostic images on the large screen.
Other small touches give the patient more autonomy, such as being able to manually adjust the room temperature or close the window blinds without calling a nurse.
“We want (patients) to feel like their experience isn’t a helpless one, that they’ve been well informed about what they can expect, who’s going to take care of them,” says Kuipers. staff, they can focus on taking care of the patient. They don’t have to turn up the heat or close the blinds. They can focus completely on taking care of their patients.”
Kuipers expects the new smart rooms to launch in the first quarter of 2024.
Kuipers will present, “Inside the Patient Room of the Future at Valley Health System,” Tuesday, April 18 at 11:45 a.m. CT at the eVideon booth at the HIMSS23 Global Conference in Chicago.
Twitter: @JELagasse
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