Medical Construction & Design

JAN-FEB 2018

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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MCDM AG.COM | JA N UA RY/ F EBRUA RY 2018 | Medical Construction & Design 33 objectives are successfully met. Some interim solutions may address a few of the aforementioned issues. For ex- ample, continue providing local program- ming with 40 or so of the more popular cable and/or satellite channels to allow patients and visitors access to the local major sporting events, news, etc., but with limited Wi-Fi access. Another option is to broadcast hospi- tal-produced content over select channels. A Serenity channel is a popular choice and other channels could include healthcare information and educational content. In-room monitors are now used as a display tool for medical staff to present treatment information to patients and families. Labwork, pharmacy records, radiology reports, CT scans and other test results can be viewed in-room and in real- time. Monitors can be tied to the in-room charting computer or wirelessly to tablets issued to the medical team. Upon dis- charge, instructions can be reviewed with patients and their caregivers. Interactive capabilities are becoming much more robust, impacting treatment and subsequent reporting into medical re- cords. For example, when a patient views educational content, it's automatically reported in the medical record. Dietary choices can be selected on screen via video menus, which are then transmitted directly to food service providers, creating effi ciencies for nursing staff and reducing human error. Internet and email access can also be integrated. In-room webcams can improve patient response times, allowing nursing staff to simultaneously monitor multiple patients from a single command center. Webcams also allow virtual rounding and on-call physicians to consult with patients re- motely. This capability is highly eff ective in academic settings where consulting with outside physicians and among in- terns, residents and educators is standard protocol. In-room cameras are used for virtual sitters and translation services. Virtual sitters monitor multiple patients who are at fall risk, or with motion activation features and trigger notifi cation of patient activity, e.g., attempting to get out of bed. Translation services have been provided via a dual handset telephone, but hospitals are transitioning to dedicated tablets or Tanyarat Meepadma/Dreamstime computers to enable video translation. Finally, all this can be tied together with integrations between multiple systems that allow the television to become a commu- nication hub and not just an entertainment device. Connecting a real-time location system with the nurse call system, environmental, lighting, shades and medical records cre- ates a display system that can be used as the command center for patients, families and staff . Some examples of the interface include: > Greet patients with a short welcome video featuring basic hospital information, safety protocol, hand-washing guidelines, etc. > Track security and room access. When staff enters the room, a photo and brief de- scription of that person can pop up on the screen. The patient or family can also call up a history to see who was in the room and when. > The patient can call up a menu to change lighting scenes, adjust tempera- ture, close shades, release the door holder, etc. > The main menu can display daily treat- ment goals, such as walk two laps around the unit, cough fi ve times, no eating or drinking after midnight, etc. > Service requests can be made to house- keeping, maintenance, etc. > On-screen exit surveys can be complet- ed, much like a hotel check-out experi- ence. > Dietary, gift shop and valet services could be accessed by patients and visitors to provide the concierge experience some facilities desire to off er. > Video translation services and virtual consults could be initiated from the pa- tient's pillow speaker or via an on-screen menu. How far to go with these technolo- gies will be greatly impacted not only by a facility's specifi c vision, but also by budget, construction impact, interface and imple- mentation costs and patient population. Gary Buss is a senior technology planner on Hoefer Wysocki's Dallas, Texas-based Clinical Technology Solutions team. He has more than 30 years of experi- ence in healthcare technology working with major medical centers across the globe.

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