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Patients in the ICU need constant monitoring. Their condition may change rapidly, so medical staff must always be aware of the situation. Intelligent health technology enables nurses to monitor patients’ condition in real time, even when away from the patient room.
In the Intensive Care and Intermediate Care Unit of Vaasa Central Hospital, patients are treated in single and double rooms, providing as quiet an environment as possible. The most critical patients require nurses' continual attention, but it is not always possible for nursing staff to be present in, or have visual contact with patient rooms.
“For this reason, our nurses always carry Myco smartphones, to which nurse call and device alerts are delivered. Thus, the nurses receive real-time information about, for example, a patient’s arrhythmia, and know instantly when their help is needed,” explains Head Nurse, Anna Cederholm.
The nature of the type of care given, means that patients require close monitoring, a task significantly easier on an open ward. The layout of the ICU at Vaasa Central Hospital, with many separate and private patient rooms, would simply not be possible without the use of technology that ensures constant situational awareness. In Cederholm’s opinion, technology also streamlines nursing care.
Ascom’s solutions have been in use at Vaasa Central Hospital for some time now, and they have been expanded as needed. Petri Luoma, Head of Hospital Technology, points out that the keyword when planning technological acquisitions for a hospital is ‘need’.
“It is crucial that healthcare staff find the technology useful. The technology must meet caregivers’ actual needs and make their work easier. Any technology that is judged as being unnecessary or unhelpful will soon become unused,” Luoma stresses.
Intelligent hospital or smart health technology is not based on single, individual products but rather, on comprehensive solutions that enhance the existing processes and workflows. For a successful outcome, the planning stage calls for close and open cooperation between the hospital and the solution provider. Clinicians, engineering staff, and Ascom experts were all actively involved in the project.
“Ascom’s clinical consultant plays an essential role as an interpreter who understands and communicates both the needs of nursing care and the technical aspects of the solution.”
According to Luoma, as a result of the long-lasting cooperation, Ascom has insight into the hospital’s needs and actively follows the development of everyday work. Ascom’s continuing involvement is appreciated by Cederholm as well.