UPMC gets 'smart'

Can "smart rooms" help healthcare providers prioritize activities at the point of care while delivering bedside access to digitized patient information to authorized hospital staff Hospital officials at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) are convinced “smart rooms” can do just that - and they’ve tapped IBM’s SmartRoom technology to make it happen.

According to a MedHealthWorld.com report, the UMPC SmartRoom system integrates electronic health records with care provider and patient identification and workflow management.
 
Using small ultrasound tags, the system  identifies healthcare providers, as well as their role in patient care, as soon as they enter the smart hospital room.
 
“A connected wall monitor displays the care provider’s identity and role so that patients can easily see who has arrived and what they will be doing,” the MedHealthWorld.com article states. “The SmartRoom solution also supplies the clinician who enters a patient’s room with relevant, real-time patient information pulled from the electronic medical record, including allergies, vital signs, test results and medications that are due. The patient details displayed on each caregiver's monitor are tailored to the needs of that specific person’s role. A hostess who delivers meal trays, for example, will see only dietary orders and allergy information. A doctor may see different information than that displayed to a nurse.”
 
Because it features a touch-screen, on-monitor  interface in the patient's room, a nurse or aide can document completed tasks within seconds, making the case for increased efficiencies and cost savings. Other features include real-time links to key clinical systems, such as pharmacy and lab services. Patient e-mail, testing schedules, education and other features also are available through the SmartRoom technology.