Photo Credit: Ber Murphy/The Atlantic
No robo-doctors yet, but there’s plenty of other cool stuff.
Many healthcare facilities are warming up to the idea of implementing new technology into their daily practice. Virtual reality tools and devices manipulated by smart software are all helping to improve the healthcare system and reduce errors.
Below are a few of the facilities that are using new tech and seeing tremendous results.
In California, Hoag Hospital is using virtual reality to improve surgical outcomes. This allows surgeons to rehearse for surgeries, especially those that are more complex. This gives surgeons the opportunity to see how they would handle any potential issues that could come up in surgery. Any kind of setback could be costly to the patient’s life, so having the ability to see and plan ahead is vital to saving lives. The price tag for this kind of technology isn’t cheap, though. It costs around $500,000, but the end results are priceless.
In Los Angeles, at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, healthcare professionals are using voice technology. They placed Echos in about 100 patient rooms to help them feel a little bit more at home. They can connect with the Echo in whatever fashion makes them comfortable. They also are using Aiva, which is an Alexa-powered platform that allows patients to contact medical staff whenever they need assistance. The request will immediately be transferred to the appropriate staff member, and if the staff member doesn’t respond in a timely manner, it will contact the next person on the list. This is a great way to get direct attention from the right personnel.
These are just a couple of examples of how technology is impacting how we look at healthcare. Every little bit of innovation is going to be beneficial to patients as they can have a bit more control over their health. Hospitals need to embrace the advancements that are being made to keep everyone healthy.
