Convergence for critical care

摘要

During emergency heart surgery at MetroHealth System's new Critical Care Pavilion, a patient's vital signs go haywire. The anesthesiologist needs expert advice, and fast. He hits a button on a wireless phone strapped to his waist and is instantly connected to the department chief, who simultaneously conferences in other anesthesiol-ogists.After this quick verbal consult — during which he never leaves the patient's side — the anesthesiologist makes a small adjustment, the patient stabilizes and the operation is a success. Life-saving real-time collaborative scenarios such as this become commonplace at MetroHealth System since the Cleveland healthcare group opened its CCP in June 2004. Near the established medical center, the CCP features an emergency department and 17 surgical suites tied together via a state-of-the-art wireless data and VoIP system.