More hospitals are installing integrated operating rooms, which are equipped with technology that can improve safety and efficiency, the Dallas Business Journal reports.
In an integrated operating room, nurses can use touch-screen computers to control audio; video and medical equipment; electronic patient data; lighting; and temperature. Some systems have voice recognition and activation capabilities, letting surgeons control equipment using wireless headsets and microphones.
The integrated operating rooms are electronically connected to the rest of the hospital, allowing surgeons to access data, such as radiology images, and view them on monitors. Surgeons during procedures also can consult via video teleconference with specialists in the hospital, the Business Journal reports.
Some Dallas-area hospitals are implementing integrated operating rooms. Centennial Medical Center in Frisco included an integrated operating room when it opened in 2004. Also, Methodist Health System's new hospital in Mansfield will feature integrated operating room technologies, and Baylor Health Care System's heart hospital will have integrated operating rooms for cardiac procedures when it opens this year.
Some of the most advanced integrated operating rooms allow surgeons to consult with colleagues in distant locations and teach remotely via communication systems that reach university classrooms (Juett, Dallas Business Journal, 1/12).