Hospital Buyer

An article from the World-Herald published in Omaha, Nebraska describes the addition of family-friendly tools incorporated in surgical waiting rooms in hospitals throughout the state. Hospitals are increasingly providing the loved ones of patients undergoing surgery with tools to provide updates as patients are treated.

Methodist Hospital in Omaha is adding information screens in the surgical waiting rooms and hospital cafeteria, likened to information screens at airports that provide arrival and departure data. Patients are assigned a unique identifier and the screens are updated as patients move through the steps of surgery: prep, entering the OR, moving to the recovery room after surgery, and discharge.

Families can track the progress of their loved ones with the information posted on the screens. And with screens also provided in the cafeteria, they can feel comfortable leaving the waiting area without missing an update. Two other hospitals in Nebraska adopted the information screens and a third facility is considering implementation of such.

Other hospitals in the state have incorporated pagers to alert family members when information is available. Children’s Hospital in Omaha, for example, provides parents of pediatric patients undergoing surgery with short updates via text pagers.

The feedback about the system appears to be overwhelmingly positive. Family members appreciate the ongoing updates about a patient’s status. The systems reflect an ongoing shift in how hospitals approach patient care, now adopting an approach that focuses directly on the needs of patients and their families.

This is also part of a broader overhaul in delivery with a consumer approach, which includes self-service technology and staff dedicated to improving patient experience. Hospitals are responding to the expectations of patients (consumers) that care be more convenient, accessible, and responsive to their needs.

July 19, 2007 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Surgery