Valley Health System debuting 'smart rooms' to improve patient care

Photo: Xavierarnau/Getty Images

Staying in a hospital room is no one's idea of a good time. But staying in a smart room – as envisioned by Valley Health System – could improve the experience.

The health system, which serves patients in New Jersey and southern New York, announced the building of a new hospital in 2017, and that's when the idea of a smart room was born. Health system officials reasoned that if the organization was creating a brand-new facility, it ought to rethink its patient rooms in ways that make the experience better for both patients and clinical staff.

"We brought together everyone who was involved in patient care and laid out our goals," said Marcia Kuipers, systems specialist and project manager at Valley Health System. "We wanted patients and families to have more of a say as to what's happening in their room, more autonomy over their environment. We wanted them to accomplish things without calling physician staff. We want to make it easier for staff, give them all of the information at their fingertips. And we still wanted to keep that personal relationship we have with our patients."

With input from staff and patient representatives, as well as a partnership with health technology company eVideon, the vision for the smart room began to take shape.

One standout feature of the smart room is a 75 inch television positioned at the foot of the bed. Patients will be able to get their entertainment fix, but will also have access to educational videos and an incorporated white board, which will include such pertinent information as their care plan. A location-tracking system will alert patients to who's walking into the room, whether they be a nurse or other member of the clinical staff. And patients will have access to a bedside "companion" tablet, allowing them to watch videos or conduct video chats with their family, or their physician if necessary.

A separate monitor positioned outside the room will give staff members updated information on what's needed in terms of patient care, and they'll have the ability to pull up diagnostic imaging on the large screen.

Other small touches give the patient more autonomy, such as being able to adjust the room temperature themselves, or close the window shades without calling in a nurse.

"We want (patients) to feel like their experience has not been a helpless one," said Kuipers, "that they've been informed all the way on what they can expect, who's caring for them. For staff, they can concentrate on the patient care. They don't have to turn the heat up or shut the shades. They can strictly concentrate on their patients' care."

Kuipers expects the new smart rooms to go live during the first quarter of 2024.

Kuipers will give a presentation, "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
Email the writer: Jeff.Lagasse@himssmedia.com