Reply To: How does embedded ambient intelligence supercharge virtual nursing?

[Barb Pelletreau]

Chris,  I see health systems taking one of two approaches to virtual nursing technology.
he first is a point solution approach of thinking of virtual nursing as a camera in the patient room – with a nurse or sitter on the other end to do tasks like admit, discharge, patient education and medication reconciliation.  The cameras can be fixed on the TV, on a tablet or cart.  Many pilots for vn start here because of familiarity with video conferencing tools and the fact that this is the path most incumbent vendors have taken as they repurpose legacy assets to address virtual nursing.  My observation is the tablet and cart-based approach is not scalable as it adds more work for the bedside caregivers to find, clean, and connect devices, etc – and that the devices are not ubiquitously available when needed.

The second option is more of a platform approach where virtual inpatient care is a feature of a broader set of integrated capabilities (rather than a point solution), using the camera in the room as the tip of the spear for something more transformational.  Going beyond the camera to integrate ambient monitoring to continuously capture visual and voice data, further enhanced by generative and predictive AI. This approach promises to shift tasks from the bedside to the virtual caregiver and better guide each caregiver in real time as to where their time is best focused at any given moment.  Further, ambient intelligence will completely automate certain tasks that should no longer require nursing time (documentation, regulatory compliance reporting, etc).

Here is a link to the initial Black Book Market research report on Ambient Intelligence for healthcare which may be helpful.  Good luck!!