Intensive care unit plays a significant role in the treatment of patients. It is focused on the healing environment, patient safety, and high-tech healthcare informatics platforms brought to the patient to provide excellent patient care. On the one side, the ICU system has the already established rules and uses the specific means to serve patients. On the other side, that norms and tools may be obsolete and only prevent the nurses and doctors from taking care of patients appropriately. Therefore, the modern intensive care unit should be improved by the implementation of the new technologies within their critical elements such as security, privacy as well as the general wellbeing of patients.
In his speech, Dr. Halpern states that one of the most critical elements of taking care of the ICU patients is the creation of a proper environment that, as he believes, starts from the privacy of patients (Intelligent Hospital TV, 2014). Currently, curtains, double pane glass with blinds, and the E-glass are the most common ways for achieving this. Undoubtedly, curtains may get dirty and need to be changed in front of patients that may cause discomfort to them. As for the second option for the patient privacy, blinds in between double pane glass may break and need to be repaired. The fact that another person repairs double pane glass blinds in patients’ room can make them uncomfortable and lead to the possible adverse effects of the treatment and taking care of patients. Finally, Dr. Halpern admits that E-glass is the most efficient and safe technological solution for the patients’ privacy. Both nurse and patients may control the E-glass at a touch of a button.
Indeed, among the list of the three elements for ensuring the patients’ safety, the E-glass is the most beneficial technology. It first, reduces costs and second, the risk for contamination (‘Installing ICU Window Film,’ 2017). Unlike the curtains, which because of being laundered inappropriately may be the cause for contagious diseases for the patients, their visitors, nurses, and doctors, E-glass technology does not require any specific conditions. Additionally, E-glass may need not as critical control of the system as double pane glass with blinds does. Moreover, it is easier for the nurses to prepare the room for the observation with a single flicking the switch, which makes patients feel more comfortable.
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Furthermore, Dr. Halpern argues that one of the most challenging elements in ICU room is the control of specimens which leave the room and go to the laboratory and receiving the blood products from the central departments of the hospital. He emphasizes the Pneumatic Tube System as the efficient means for tracking specimens and identifying their exact location. However, the PTS may cause an adverse effect in particular cases. According to the results of the recent study, PTS makes a negative impact on the specimens control of the patients with the very low hematologic parameters. Although Dr. Halpern claims that the PTS is the beneficial technology for both patients and nurses, he does not discuss the specific health care branches. As the study found, “Blood cell counts in patients with leukemia may be altered by the use of PTS transportation” (Koroglu et al., 2016, p. 1332). Therefore, it is necessary to consider such features and factors which may affect technologies’ usage in the ICU room.
Another technology which makes a positive contribution to ICU is the system that takes the despaired pieces of equipment and links them together. Such system unites all pieces of equipment under the private labels for each and tags their devices which transmit information. Through the bedside array, the data from the devices is delivered to the central monitor. Patients and nurses can see the critical indicators depicted at that monitor as well as the picture provided by the remote web camera.
Finally, Dr. Halpern argues that the bedside sonogram machine should replace the stethoscope as the traditional medical device. This tool is beneficial for making daily and planned observations of the patients’ lungs, heart, belly as well as seeing the various pressures and fluids inside of a human body. According to Dr. Halpern, the bedside sonogram machine “provides a crucial insight into the real-time care of the ICU patients” (Intelligent Hospital TV, 2014). Indeed, the stethoscope is an obsolete tool which only limits nurses’ ability to fulfill their tasks fast and efficiently. Thus, the implementation of bedside sonogram machine is crucial for the modern ICU because they help serve patients on a high level shortly.
Overall, ICU is developing at the moment and undergoes the significant changes. The replacement of the outdated equipment with the new technologies causes the positive effect on taking care of patients and their treatment. Considering the fact that the particular technological means may have significant flaws, the hospital managers should select the new equipment by examining their functions, advantages and flaws, and the area of usage. Thus, they can avoid the possible side effects and improve the service in the intensive.
