The Digital Age Comes to the Hospital Bed

One of the worst things about any hospital stay is the overwhelming sense of isolation that stems from being cut off from the outside world.  For most patients, their only contact with the outside world, outside of visiting hours and the occasional telephone call, comes through the limited number of channels the hospital makes available on their in-room television.                

But what it that television was really an interactive device for communicating with the outside world that could also play videos and music selected by the patient.  And better still, what if that system was integrated with the hospital’s internal IT systems so the patient could actually keep track of what’s going on with their own care.
That’s the idea behind the PatientLife System developed by GetWellNetwork Inc. that has now been installed in hundreds of hospitals around the country.

The system works by first installing a Dell PC that is connected to a flat panel television at every bedside. Patients can use that system to surf the Web, play games, watch movies, listen to music, access medical information or even work if they so choose. That system is also loaded with an application developed by GetWellNetwork Inc. that not only allows patients to see their own medical records, but can be used to send requests to various departments in the hospital. That means that instead of troubling a nurse to adjust the temperature in the room, for example, the patient can send that request directly to the facilities department.

Earlier this week,  GetWellNetwork updated the PatientLife System software to include a new application to help manage the patient discharge process. According to David Wright, chief outcomes officer for GetWellNetwork, many hospital stays become extended by a day because of a missed patient care detail on the hospital’s required discharge list. For example, if missed, the “patient transportation” item, which ensures that the patient has made adequate arrangements for transportation home, can easily cause discharge delays. At a time when everyone is focused on healthcare costs, Wright notes that the costs associated with an extra day in a hospital room can really add up.

And nothing can be more frustrating to a patient than being unable to go home when they know they are more than ready to leave. The whole point of the PatientLife System, Wright says, is to engage patients more in their own medical care, while also engaging them with their families and the outside world.  And this goal is the number one priority of the National Quality Forum, which is a think tank for healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the heath-care experience.

It's doubtful that checking into a hospital is ever going to be quite the same as checking into a four-star hotel, but it’s pretty clear that hospitals are finally starting to think about narrowing that gap.

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