Photo: AdventHealth
AdventHealth says it will improve patient communication and care coordination capabilities across the health system, with plans to deploy digitized whiteboards and door signage and EHR-linked in-room video at more than 55 hospitals across nine states.
WHY IT MATTERS
The new smart rooms will go live across AdventHealth throughout 2026, the health system said this past week – touting two-way communications from patient rooms as a key feature of the technology upgrades.
The new technology upgrades add virtual care opportunities that could reduce nurses' administrative burdens – such as admissions checks and discharge protocols – and could improve access to specialist consults, according to AdventHealth. They can reduce patient wait times for in-room care visits.
Additional features, including digital whiteboards, improve communications with patients and families. The health system said real-time displays will provide information on a patient's care team, medications and daily goals.
Digital door signs outside patient rooms share safety alerts, care instructions and other vital updates that can be sent remotely.
"Patients appreciate being able to see their care plan and communicate more easily with their team," said Dr. Valerie McKinnis, AdventHealth's vice president of clinical innovation, in a statement. "We're hearing that it reduces uncertainty, helps people feel informed and makes their stay more comfortable."
In January, when in-room cameras were added at the system's Castle Rock Hospital, one patient who had come to the emergency room with breathing problems told CBS News that she thought it was "extremely efficient" to speak to a pulmonary specialist virtually versus an ER doctor.
However, other patients said they had privacy concerns about cameras in hospital rooms.
"These cameras aren't able to record," Jesse Loar, the hospital's chief medical officer, said in the story. "There has been a ton of work around firewalls, around making sure that all of this technology is safe."
Patients can also decline use of the cameras, he added.
"Trust is at the center of our design," according to Dr. Michael Cacciatore, AdventHealth's system chief medical officer. "Patients are in control of when and how these tools are used, and every connection is made with their privacy and dignity in mind," he said in the announcement about the full rollout.
THE LARGER TREND
Smart room technology has been shown to streamline clinical workflows by reducing administrative burdens and providing access to specialists. It can also reduce staff turnover rates and improve patient experiences.
Last year, OhioHealth said physicians, nurses and patients had embraced the new tech.
The non-profit health system had a successful implementation, according to Duane Perry, RN, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services.
"We've seen an improvement in our quality metrics," he told Healthcare IT News. "We were surprised at how well the patients embraced it. Patients of all generations. Patients want to use that virtual camera to pull in a family member who may be out of state when the physician comes in."
"We're a large health system where you only have so many specialists, cardiologists, neurologists, hospitalists," Perry explained. "We've been able to use that technology so the specialist can be in a patient's room without having to drive across a county to one of our smaller hospitals. Now, they can interview the patient, do an assessment and get things done in a more timely manner."
Virtual features also helped OhioHealth reduce the turnover rate of nurses new to the profession by 9% in one year.
While virtual care in smart hospital rooms can help reduce bedside nurses' pressures, it also gives OhioHealth's new nurses access to experienced nurses for support, said Perry.
ON THE RECORD
"Smart rooms give patients greater clarity about their care and peace of mind knowing their team is always within reach," said Cacciatore in the announcement. "These tools give patients faster access to their care team and can make every interaction feel more personal."
Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
