Have you ever stopped to think about all the improvements a smart hospital room brings? Its implementation represents a giant leap that takes us directly toward the hospitals of the future. It’s no wonder that so many telecommunications engineers are strongly investing in this innovation.
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What is a smart hospital room and how does it work?
A hospital room is considered smart when it uses new technologies to optimize communication, security, management, and patient entertainment. Its purpose is to make the hospital stay safer, more efficient, comfortable, and personalized.
These types of rooms (also known as digital rooms or smart rooms) are the cornerstone of smart hospitals. It’s worth noting that the hospital smart building trend is on the rise, with an expected annual growth rate of 19.71% between 2024 and 2029, according to Mordor Intelligence.
The smart hospital room operates through digitalization and home automation. Thanks to the tools it incorporates, both the patient and healthcare staff can easily manage key aspects of the stay. Monitoring heart rate, managing shifts, controlling lighting, or calling the nurse are just some of the functions integrated into this system.
Key technologies behind a smart hospital room
- Carepad. It is the flagship gadget of every smart hospital room. It’s a touchscreen tablet that allows the patient to self-manage multiple aspects of their stay. With this device, they can, among other things, communicate with staff, watch TV, or access their medical record.
- Sensors (AdvantSense). These include environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, CO₂, and noise) and vital sign monitoring patches (blood pressure, body temperature, pulse, and respiration).
- Artificial intelligence radars (AdvantSense). They can detect and analyze patient movements (for example, getting out of bed) without direct contact. They also monitor heart rate and respiration.
- 360° cameras (AdvantSense). They provide a comprehensive view of the room to the medical staff in order to monitor the hospital stay. They are particularly useful for detecting falls or the patient’s position in bed.
- Digital communication systems (AdvantCare). These enable immediate communication between the patient and healthcare staff. They use an intuitive interface and can optionally include VoIP audio.
- Internet of Things (IoT). Incorporates smart building technology to increase comfort and safety during the stay. It allows control of elements such as lighting (AdvantCare) and doors (AdvantControl).
Benefits of smart hospital rooms for patients
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Increased safety. Healthcare staff have access to real-time information about the patient’s condition, allowing them to intervene immediately and effectively.
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Greater comfort. The patient enjoys a more comfortable and satisfying hospital stay thanks to the ability to self-manage their leisure activities and room automation.
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More personalization. Enables the hospital to offer patients individualized care based on their medical profile and personal preferences.
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Faster service. Reduces waiting times by streamlining administrative processes and the care provided by the facility.
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More information. Promotes patient education by providing engaging and accessible instruction on aspects such as self-care and hospital operations.
How smart hospital rooms are transforming patient care
Empowers the patient and enhances their experience
A patient admitted to a smart room can control aspects such as lighting and climate. In addition, communication with both family members and healthcare staff is made easy. They also have access to multiple forms of entertainment whenever they wish (TV, games, social media, etc.).
The smart hospital room optimizes medical care
Smooth communication with the patient and real-time monitoring are crucial for providing high-quality medical care. Indeed, these advancements allow healthcare professionals to intervene quickly and accurately.
Trends in hospital innovation: the future of smart rooms
The benefits brought by smart hospital rooms are making them one of the main drivers of healthcare innovation. Consequently, their future within Hospital 4.0 looks especially promising.
The main lines of innovation we will soon see in smart rooms include:
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Artificial intelligence: its use will make clinical diagnoses faster and more accurate.
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Augmented and virtual reality: its educational value will benefit both doctors and patients.
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Blockchain: this technology will be integrated into medical data management systems to enhance privacy.
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IoT and wearable devices: their integration will enable medical staff to perform detailed and real-time monitoring of patients’ health.
The smart hospital room represents a competitive advantage you can’t afford to overlook. As experts in hospital communications, Advantecnia makes it easy for you to implement this technological solution. To fully harness its potential, all you need to do is get in touch with us.
