Transforming Patient Hospital Experience Through Smart Technologies

摘要

Due to advances made in telehealth, and the growing usage of information and communication technology in all growing sectors, patients have more control over their healthcare experience through greater access to information and their care providers. While the literature provides evidence supporting integrating more modern approaches, we find that patient rooms in hospital settings have largely ignored advances made in information and communication technology (ICT). This paper proposes a "smart" patient room layout designed not only to help improve communication, safety, and satisfaction of both patients and nurses but also to engage and empower patients by giving them access to technology and educational resources, in-room entertainment. Three smart devices were proposed in this paper as a way of transforming the quality, speed, accuracy, and experience of care services. First, a tablet was proposed to replace the original call light device in patients' rooms. The second device discussed in this paper is a hands-free device (smartwatch) worn by nurses to better prioritize patient calls, which will improve patient safety, and improve nurse's workflow. The tablet and watch will work in tandem with a third smart communication tool, voice assistance technology such as Amazon Alexa, to completely transform the patient experience and allow patients to take control of their healthcare journey. Implanting this system is expected to improve the quality, efficiency, and experience of both patients and nurses. A high-fidelity prototype of the system will be developed and tested in the university nursing simulation lab.