Innovation Unit
Mackenzie Health is transforming care through the creation of an Innovation Unit, a first-in-Canada project which features a unique integration of advanced technology that transforms the delivery of care.
A first in Mackenzie Health's innovation journey, the Innovation Unit is an acute care medical unit that has been transformed into a living and breathing laboratory for innovations to be developed, evaluated and adopted by other patient care units at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and at the health system level.
The Innovation Unit includes 17 smart patient rooms which feature 34 smart beds, smart stations, smart badges, dome light indicators and hand hygiene support systems as part of a multi-phase implementation designed to enhance the quality of care.
Smart beds help communicate safety alerts to staff to help prevent adverse events such as falls. For example, safety protocols can be set up for patients at risk of falls to ensure that side rails, brakes and bed exit alarms are set up prior to the caregiver leaving the room. Other features include a built-in scale which allows for more accurate and timely weighing of patients.
Smart stations, installed in every room, provide patient information to caregivers where and when they need it. This technology allows caregivers to respond faster to patients' needs, therefore improving patient outcomes and providing a better patient experience.
Smart badges identify a staff member's location on the unit, alert them of any patient calls, enable staff communication and record the response time and direct patient care time provided.
Dome light indicators outside each room alert staff to whether patients are at risk for falls, track nurses' locations and communicate real-time information to the status boards.
The hand hygiene support solution utilizes a system that proactively alerts staff of potential missed hand-hygiene opportunities and monitors hand hygiene activity through proximity sensors.
By implementing technologies that are designed and integrated to improve the patient experience and clinical outcomes, doctors and nurses are better able to perform their roles and deliver safer, more efficient care to patients. Ultimately, it enables nurses and other inter-professional team members to spend more time at the bedside, providing hands-on care.
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