Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Touch Screen Benefits Health Industry

As technology continues to advance, many industries grasp on to the latest equipment to improve efficiency and business. Hospitals are especially are turning to new technologies to improve accuracy in order to operate and provide proper care for patients. And today, touch screens are becoming well-known in hospitals because of their benefits for both patients and providers.

For starters, since it's a touch screen, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals can simply operate the system with the touch of a rubber glove or stylus. Since hospitals are a fast-paced environment, medical personnel want to focus more time on patients than a computer system. A touch screen provides fast and easy access as compared to a mouse and a keyboard.

Touch screens are also used for devices such as electronic medical records (EMR) in which a patient's complete list of information is kept. No need to scroll through paper or scroll on your mouse when you can simply access information with the touch of your finger. Touch screens can be installed in each room or unit in a hospital. Touch screens also prevent against spills or leaks which hospitals frequently experience due to sterilization or sprays when prepping for a surgery or cleaning.

And it's not just a matter of a safer and faster practice, but patient comfort, especially for children. Regardless of age, hospitals don't always appear thrilling or make us feel at home. But, children especially feel trapped inside a hospital. They want to stay in contact with friends, be active and not feel required to lie in bed all day long. The Alfred I DuPont Institute Children's Hospital in Delaware replaced old televisions in outpatient units and the emergency department with bedside touch screens featuring video games, Internet access and educational medical programming for younger patients, in addition to standard television. It's no longer a hospital bed, but a child's bedroom.

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