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Posted Oct. 20, 2008
The consumer-driven healthcare revolution has changed the way many hospitals do business today. Aging baby boomers are driving many hospital campaigns to keep up with their expectations for more hospital amenities such as private rooms, expanded meal selections and free Internet access.
New and renovated facilities across the country are now offering these amenities and more. For example, a recent addition for many hospitals is an enhanced point-of-care patient education and communication system, which allows hospitals to include at the bedside a communication unit so patients can be more involved in their care.
One system uses a TV monitor, handheld controller and a wireless keyboard to access educational content, entertainment and communications. Hospitals can acquire age-appropriate content for patients ranging from pediatrics to adults and also in several languages to meet the needs of a diverse patient population.
Clickers & Keyboards
What could make a patient feel more at home than having a television with a remote control and a wireless keyboard to stay connected to family and friends or work?
At St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (SJMO) hospital, Pontiac, MI, access to an interactive system is activated when a patient is admitted and assigned a room. Upon arrival in their room, the patient receives a welcome message on the television monitor along with general safety messages on topics such as fall precautions.
Using the system is as simple as pointing the remote at the television to select the desired content and using the keyboard to access the Internet and e-mail. The patient can view short educational videos about their treatment or disease management as well as access entertainment options such as movies and television programs.
Some systems also allow patients to communicate with other hospital departments, as well as the outside world.
"Our patients love the system because they can watch TV, surf the Internet or send e-mails, in addition to receiving specific information about their care," said Connie Babinchak, ADN, who works in the cardiology step-down unit at SJMO.
Through this system patients can watch movies, order meals and communicate with hospital support departments, such as housekeeping. For example, the patient can alert housekeeping to request trash removal or accidental spills - without calling a nurse to their room.
Isabel Lempertz, a patient representative at Seton Medical Center Williamson in Round Rock, TX, was involved in rolling out the facility's interactive patient system. The hospital opened in February and is in the process of implementing the interactive patient communication system.
"We currently have the system available on two floors - the med/surg floor and the L&D unit," explained Lempertz. "The nurses and patients are excited about the potential for the system to take patient care to a new level."
The interactive system allows nursing staff to proactively schedule appropriate information videos about pre- or post-procedures or disease management, among other topics, for their patients.
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