Mount Sinai is using several pieces of technology to improve care coordination.
As more virtual nursing programs pop up throughout healthcare, more technology is integrated into health system workflows, and it's important that nurse leaders understand the capabilities and potential applications.
Clair Lunt, senior director of nursing informatics at the Mount Sinai Health System, outlined how the New York-based health system uses technology in its virtual nursing program, and how they plan to expand the program in the future.
Ms. Lunt is a part of the HealthLeaders Virtual Nursing Mastermind program, in which several health systems are discussing the ins and outs of their virtual nursing programs and what their goals are for implementing this new strategy.
Technology
According to Ms. Lunt, Mount Sinai uses virtual nursing for admission and discharge documentation and patient education. They are using several pieces of technology including TVs and cameras.
"There is what's called a bridge, which is the platform where the virtual nurses can actually log into [their] systems and see [their] patients," Lunt said.
The cameras are placed above the TV in the patient’s room and paired with a high-resolution zoom camera next to the TV.
"Those cameras are used to home or zoom right in on wounds or medications or blood products that you need a second set of eyes on if needed," Ms. Lunt said.
There are also pillow speakers with microphones that patients can use to call the nurse.
"They can speak through it, and they just talk to the pillow speaker when they're answering," Ms. Lunt said, "and the virtual nurses can hear them."
Future applications
Over time, Ms. Lunt believes the program will go beyond virtual nursing.
"Other platforms will want to be able to use the technology to be able to care for patients at a multiple number of sites," Ms. Lunt said, "rather than have people based at each site."
For instance, someone from the MRI department could use the virtual platform to help patients complete -questionnaires, rather than having a bedside nurse dothem. Pharmacists could also use the platform to go over new medication information with patients.
Ms. Lunt said the platform could also be used for home rehab programs, with virtual nurses working with patients at home to complete physical assessments prior to pre-authorization, freeing up the clinician to work with the patient.
"They can just pop in and just talk to the family and the patient," Ms. Lunt said, "you can actually pull the patient's family members into a call without them actually having to be in the room with the patient."
The idea is that virtual nursing will expand to improve patient care overall, Ms. Lunt explained.
"So that care coordination piece, I think will become favorable for a lot of different disciplines," Ms. Lunt said, "not just virtual nursing."
The HealthLeaders Mastermind series is an exclusive series of calls and events with healthcare executives. This Virtual Nursing Mastermind series features ideas, solutions, and insights on excelling your virtual nursing program. Please join the community at our LinkedIn page.
To inquire about participating in an upcoming Mastermind series or attending a HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
G Hatfield is the nursing editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The Mount Sinai Health System is one of a dozen health systems taking part in HealthLeaders' Virtual Nursing Mastermind series.
The New York health system is employing TVs and high-resolution cameras to assist with admissions, discharges, patient education, and other documentation processes.
The goal is to expand the virtual program to include other departments in the hospital who can take advantage of the platform to streamline care coordination.