September 20, 2011
The Evolution of the Smart Room
Imagine an environment that is aware of your presence. Automated events
occur based on your location, preferences and patterns. Daily tasks take less
time or are simply no longer necessary, based upon the ability to utilize smart
technology – seamlessly integrated into your everyday routine.
Now, apply this smart concept to an environment focused upon
providing health care and optimizing the patient experience. Smart technology
and solutions can:
- Allow patient vital signs to be documented to
the EMR directly from the patient’s monitor
- Route critical alerts to a care provider,
based upon an alarm or event occurring within the patient’s room
- Provide specific patient information to a care
provider, upon entry into a room
- Leverage digital displays outside the room to
provide patient information, status of room, and visual notification of a care
provider in the room
- Empower patients through an interactive system
that allows access to their EMR care plans, providers and education, but also
allows control of room temperature and lighting
This is an environment that can dramatically improve the experience
for the patient and caregivers, through innovative technologies and integrated
solutions. This has been the vision and realized reality of the Cerner Smart Room.
Several of our clients have already shared the successes they’ve
realized through adopting
Smart Room technology and continue to realize the benefits of
integrating solutions and technologies to optimize workflows and outcomes. The
value lies within the interoperability
of the devices and systems, leveraging technology to improve patient care and
clinician efficiency. In other words, the technology is integrated and connectedwith a purpose to achieve a positive
outcome. This principle applies not only
within the room, but throughout the continuum of care.
Our Smart Room vision
and concepts continue to evolve as organizations continue to realize the value
of a connected and contextually aware care environment. Optimizing the care experience, engaging the patient in their care and
automating the care process remains the mission of the Smart Room. However, our vision grows to empower and
simplify the workflows that extend from the room, within the care unit and
beyond the walls of the hospital – a mobile care provider. Building upon the
integration of solutions within the room, our focus encompasses the
opportunities to automate and simplify the workflows as they occur from
room-to-room, within the hallways, from unit-to-unit and beyond.
The theme for Cerner Health
Conference 2011, Experience the Possible, couldn’t be more appropriate for Cerner
and our clients as we expand the possibilities of workflow and process
improvement. At the event, we’ll feature a day-in-the-life look at an active
unit and demonstrate the real-world potential of an integrated Smart Unit and the
mobile care provider.
In addition to the smart unit showcased on solution gallery floor,
Detroit Medical Center and St. Thomas Health Services will
share their smart unit journey during a Monday Power Session, Smart Units: Vision to Reality. The
combined presentation will highlight each health system’s vision, current state
and future path in their journey and
benefits realized from their smart unit implementation for providers and
patients.
We look forward to the collaboration and
conversations with all of you at CHC 2011.
Josh Lowery is
responsible for business development and solution management of CareAware
solutions and Cerner Smart Room initiatives. These solutions focus on improving clinical workflows and
outcomes, while engaging the patient in the care experience through integrated
solutions and technologies. Lowery joined Cerner in 2006 and has held various roles
in the DeviceWorks organization. Prior to joining Cerner, he was a system
engineer at YRC Worldwide. Lowery received a bachelor of science in Computer
Information Systems from Missouri State University and a Masters in Business
Administration from Baker University.