Supporting Your Care with Smart Tools in Hospital Rooms
At Atrium Health, our care teams use smart technology and tools in hospital rooms to help monitor your health. These smart tools work alongside your in-person care team, adding an extra layer of support – like a home security system – to help us deliver the best care possible.
What Is Smart Technology?
Smart technology uses secure cameras, microphones and digital tools to help your care team monitor your health, stay connected and respond quickly when you need support. It doesn’t replace in-person care – it enhances it – while keeping your privacy protected.
How Smart Technology Benefits You
- Faster response times from nurses and staff
- Added support features, such as fall detection
- Better coordination among your care team
- Virtual access to specialists, even if they’re in another location
- Reduced interruptions while you’re resting
How It Works
The smart technology platform, called Artisight, uses a combination of smart tools in each room, including sensors, microphones, cameras and a two-way video screen. These tools observe certain room activities in real time to help your care team accurately document your condition and needs. You may hear your care team say “Artisight” out loud to activate certain features.
Examples of observed activities include:
- When staff enter your room
- When you’re resting
- When medications are given
- If you need help
How Are Cameras and Microphones Used?
These smart tools are not using audio or video that can identify you personally. Instead, it analyzes patterns of activity and behaviors, looks for changes and alerts your care team when needed. It’s focused on supporting care, not observing individuals.
Only your care team has access to smart technology in your room. They use a variety of smart tools, including audio listening tools on tablets or other devices, to help them accurately document your condition and needs in your medical chart.
How Is the Video Screen Used?
Your care team can enable secure, live video access in your room when needed. This two-way video and audio connection may be used for:
- Doctor visits by video
- Virtual consultations with specialists, even if they’re far away
- Interpreter services for those needing language support
- Virtual nursing support to help bedside nurses with documentation and care
Your Privacy Matters
With smart technology, your privacy is always protected. The smart tools are used only to support your care while you’re in the hospital, and we follow all federal and state privacy laws, including HIPAA.
If you’d like more privacy, you can ask your care team to turn off the video screen camera with privacy mode. The system will still observe your care and alert staff if you need help.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The smart tools and any virtual providers you’ll meet with do not replace your bedside doctors and nurses. They enhance your experience and add extra support to help ensure timely, coordinated and high-quality care.
Our smart technology is not a surveillance system. In most cases, the camera and microphone are only accessed when needed – such as detecting a change in your activity patterns or during virtual visits or consultations. They may be accessed more often for patients who have a high risk of falling or other concerns.
Many hospitals use cameras, microphones and other smart or virtual technology. In the past, this technology was on mobile carts that were wheeled in and out of rooms, limiting their availability and usage. With recent advances in this technology, we now have the ability to create dedicated smart hospital rooms for more comprehensive, accessible care.
If you have concerns, please speak with your nurse or care team. In many cases, accommodation can be made to respect your preferences while still ensuring your safety. If you’d like to activate privacy mode, simply let your nurse or care team know.