OR Tracking Screens Arrive

Electronic Boards Allow Families to Stay Updated During Surgery

January 27, 2010, Gainesville, FL – Family members of surgery patients at North Florida Regional Medical Center (NFRMC) have something new that may ease the anxiety of waiting for their loved ones.  With the installation of new technology at the hospital, families can track patients through all stages of surgery on screens in place at different locations at the medical center. 

“This is another tool we will use at North Florida Regional Medical Center that focuses on care that is centered on our patients and their families,” says Matt Davis, NFRMC Chief Operating Officer.  “If we can provide information for families while they wait during surgery for a loved one, we believe we can relieve some of their stress, and that is a process improvement that benefits everyone.”

Some family members who have viewed the monitors say the flat screen devices remind them of information screens at airports that display updated arrival and departure times.  OR Tracker screens at NFRMC include the name of a patient’s surgeon, whether the patient is in holding, pre-op, in surgery or in recovery and a room number when the patient is being moved to a room following the procedure.  The information is listed next to only four initials from the patient’s name to protect privacy.  The information is updated every 30 seconds.

“The information displayed is pulled from data that our staff were already collecting,” explains Amy Evans, Senior Clinical System Analyst for the HCA North Florida Division.  “We are now taking the information we always had and are using technology to display it in a way that is helpful to patients’ families and also helpful to medical staff involved in the care of our patients.”

In addition to the external screens available in surgical services waiting areas for patient families, there are a number of internal screens available for medical staff.  These screens display additional information delivered in real time that doctors, nurses and other clinicians can use to improve the flow of patient care.

“One example of the value of the screens to medical staff might be when a test has been ordered for a patient prior to a procedure, and those results are needed to move forward,” Amy Evans explains.  “When the results of that test come in, the internal screens will display test results in real time to surgical staff.  They have access to the test results immediately, and the care process can move on to the next step right away without any delay.  It’s much more efficient.”

Another component of the project included streamlining the nursing documentation previously required by a margin of 300+ keystrokes, which translates into a time savings of four minutes for each patient, allowing nursing staff to be back at the beside more quickly and further enhance patient care.

The screens and software were installed at North Florida Regional Medical Center the week of January 18.  The new system required minimal training for clinical staff.  The ten locations of internal and external monitors include the Main OR Waiting Room, 2nd Floor OR Waiting, 3rd Floor OR Waiting, Main Hospital Pre-Op, PACU, Phase 2 Recovery, Endoscopy, Women’s Center Pre-Op, Women’s Center OR and Women’s Center Waiting.

“We’re proud of this latest advance in providing another resource to our staff to help them deliver the best care possible in the most efficient way,” Davis says.  “We’re thrilled about the chance to give more information to families.  It gives them a sense of staying connected with their loved ones, and that is very important in the process of healing.”

About North Florida Regional Medical Center:
North Florida Regional is a 325-bed, full-service medical and surgical acute care center serving 14 counties and offering comprehensive cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics, neurosciences, weight loss surgery and treatment,  women’s health and wound therapy, among other services.  A proven leader, North Florida Regional Medical Center is fully accredited and is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization.  North Florida Regional Medical Center’s cancer program is designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as a Commission on Cancer-Approved Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons.  North Florida Regional Medical Center is a member of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA).  Based in Nashville, Tennessee, HCA remains the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services, composed of locally managed facilities that include approximately 166 hospitals and 112 outpatient centers in 20 states and England.