Smart system adds convenience to hospital visits
Editor's note:
Information technology, artificial intelligence, and big data are playing increasingly significant roles in health care. This series on many sectors of the health industry is intended to demonstrate the role of advanced technology, intelligent systems, and new inventions.
Shot by Jiang Xiaowei. Edited by Jiang Xiaowei. Reported by Cai Wenjun. Subtitles by Cai Wenjun.
Smart medicine is helping hospitals to run more efficiently, more intelligently, and in a more patient-friendly manner, with patients able to enjoy a better and smoother experience.
At the Shanghai East Hospital, all information on equipment, medical services, buildings, and staff has been combined into a comprehensive system with a real-time and visualized presentation.
"The platform offers a clear view on our medical service, the use of operation rooms, surgery quantity and arrangement, equipment use, and bed use in the hospital, streamlining management and resource allocation," said Xu Zhaohui, vice president of the Shanghai East Hospital, which was one of the earliest in the city to carry out intelligent hospital management.
All hospital-related information and operation data are shown on the comprehensive system clearly and in real-time at the Shanghai East Hospital.
"Apart from hospital management, a biggest purpose of the introduction of smart management is to make patients' experiences in the hospital more efficient and friendly," Xu said. "We have developed a navigation system, whose posters are installed everywhere. People can scan the QR code to connect to the system to see their position and follow it to the department or position they want after inputting their destination. The navigation system will stop automatically at the entrance of a lift and escalator to remind people to be careful."
The navigation system is so smart it can change between outside-hospital and in-hospital sections automatically. While the patient is outside the hospital, he or she can follow it under a route to the hospital. After arriving at the hospital, the system will change to the in-hospital sector automatically.
The in-hospital navigation guides drivers to reserved parking spaces at the hospital.
"Our smart medicine system can also help patients to reserve parking spaces at our hospital. After finishing the online registration and reservation for a medical service, the system can help patients reserve an available parking space and book the space for the patient in the reserved time. It also provides a QR code for the designated lift to help patients. The lift is controlled by the QR code. It can also be triggered by facial scanning, and patients can choose between facial scanning or using a QR code for privacy protection."
The service is now under trial in the hospital's VIP department.
When a patient drives a car into the parking lot under the guidance of the navigation system, they will be guided to the exact parking space and the electronic lock will open for the car.
After parking, the system will guide the patient to the designated lift to the outpatient clinic.
"Smart medicine is able to give patients a completely smooth experience in the hospital, while avoiding the trouble in looking for locations and a parking space," Xu said.
The lift can be triggered by facial scanning or a special QR code provided by the smart medicine system.
