Life Style & Wellness

Smart rooms aren’t common, but their benefits may soon make them so



It is time to learn about smart rooms in hospitals because the financial and clinical return on investment they offer can be significant.

Smart room is an innovative concept – A healthcare environment that enhances patient care and streamlines clinical workflow. The idea has evolved from basic manual tools, such as whiteboards and sticky notes, to a system more connected to digital tools that support patient care.

In the smart room, digital whiteboards, interactive displays and door signs provide real-time data to patients, their families and clinical teams. These tools connect to hospital electronic health records and other patient-centered systems, so that the right data reaches the right people at the right time.

Patients view details about their care plans, facilitating their ability to take an active role in their health journey. This approach enhances satisfaction and supports better health management after hospital discharge, which may lead to reduced readmissions and improved long-term outcomes.

Technology can improve clinical efficiency by automating routine tasks and reducing administrative demands on nurses. Integration with electronic health records can enable care teams to focus on patient care rather than paperwork. Digital whiteboards and digital door signs provide access to real-time health information and alerts that can improve care coordination between patients, families, and providers.

Jeff Fallon is Chairman and CEO of eVideon’s Vibe Health, a smart room hospital technology company. His experience with smart rooms is deep, especially in children’s hospitals and VA hospitals. We spoke with Fallon to get his thoughts on supporting the VA and enhancing child care through smart room technology.

S. How does smart room technology empower specific patient groups, such as veterans and pediatric patients?

A. Smart room technology is highly adaptable and configurable to meet the specific needs of different patient groups. Smart hospital rooms use advanced technology to deliver highly personalized communications, restore autonomy and independence, and humanize the inpatient experience. In veterans’ facilities, smart room technology allows veterans to control various aspects of their stay.

For example, they can order meals digitally, use assistive devices to control the television, watch personalized educational content and access VA communications. In child care, we have deployed smart room systems with a user interface specifically designed to engage children and their families.

Smart TVs for kids and whiteboards can include interactive features such as Augmented reality games, music and education for children to create a soothing and healing environment for pediatric patients and their loved ones.

Q: What improvements have been seen in patient satisfaction when using smart room technology?

A. An environment in which patients feel informed, empowered, and in control of their care leads to higher satisfaction and better outcomes.

For example, educational video completion rate. The TV system helps hospitals achieve completion rates for educational videos that exceed industry standards.

Another example is increasing participation in the care plan. When patients are given the independence to control their environment, and the tools to encourage their participation in the plan of care, they thrive. One hospital reported that patients’ daily mobility improved from 51% to 73% due to the interactive gaming component of the digital whiteboard.

In addition, communication with patients is improved. Patients who have real-time access to their health information via tools, such as a digital whiteboard, feel more comfortable and satisfied. In the emergency department, one hospital reported that 70% of patients said the digital whiteboard positively improved their understanding of what was happening during their stay.

Another client hospital reported increases in their Press Ganey Hospital rating, specifically a 9% increase in “Explaining side effects of new medications” and 18% in “Explaining the purpose of new medications.”

Q: How does this technology reduce the workload on nursing staff?

A. Smart room technology reduces the administrative burden on nurses, freeing them to focus on direct patient care.

Smart rooms eliminate repetitive, repetitive tasks for nurses, such as updating dry erase boards or searching for magnets to place outside a patient’s room. One client hospital reported that digital whiteboards integrated with the electronic health record saved nurses an average of 30 minutes per shift. This additional time allows nurses to foster more meaningful relationships with patients, focus more on direct patient care and work at the highest level of their clinical license.

When patients are given the opportunity to manage their non-clinical needs — such as adjusting the room temperature or ordering their own meals — nurses can stay focused on clinical care. Many of our hospital clients take advantage of “Service Request” features on TVs and tablets that allow patients and/or their families to request items or services from departments such as Food & Nutrition, Environmental Services, Case Management, Chaplain, Gift Shop, and more.

Eliminating these non-clinical functions for nurses streamlines clinical workflow and reduces the burden on nurses.

Smart room technology addresses the crucial issues Healthcare workforce challenges. With so many nurses leaving the workforce, it has become important for hospitals to embrace technology that modernizes the care environment and provides a more enriching workplace for physicians and staff.

Automating non-clinical responsibilities is one way employees can focus more on patient care, increasing job satisfaction and reducing burnout. Integrated electronic health record systems also improve real-time communication, enabling effective collaboration between care teams and promoting a culture of high safety and reliability. These benefits support employee morale and retain nursing talent.

S. How do RTLS and AI-enabled systems work with smart room technology to enhance patient and physician experiences?

A. Smart rooms are highly adaptable and can be integrated with RTLS and AI-enabled systems to enhance patient and physician experiences.

Many hospitals already use RTLS to track the location of staff and equipment. When combined with smart room technology, this system automatically identifies staff as they enter or exit a patient’s room.

For example, when a nurse enters a room, the smart display can display the nurse’s name, photo, and role. This provides greater transparency and peace of mind for patients and helps build trust between the patient and their care team.

Digital whiteboards display up-to-date patient information and track the entry and exit of care team members. This feature provides memory support for families, which is especially beneficial for patients with memory challenges such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease; Maintains a detailed log of visitors and their entry and exit times from the room.

The feature also provides recognition to nurses and doctors. The system automatically logs nurses and doctors into the room. This functionality ensures that clinicians receive recognition for the rounds they make, and supports accurate, real-time documentation for clinical and operational purposes.

Overall, integrating RTLS and AI systems with smart room technology promotes better communication, improves workflow, and enhances the experience for patients and their families.

Follow Bill’s HIT coverage on LinkedIn: Bill Siwicki
Email him: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS media publication

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