I can’t remember the last time I was in a hospital — maybe it was back in 2001, the summer that both my grandmother and grandfather passed away. If I’ve been in a hospital room since then, it’s lost in memory.
But I was in a hospital room today — some very good friends of mine welcomed twins into the world. After I stopped being distracted by holding the tiny babies, I started looking around. Things certainly have changed!
Probably the most impressive thing (at least to me) was the wristbands. Mom, Dad, and twins all had barcoded wristbands. This helps health care providers be certain that the family belongs together AND that the right person is getting the right medication. The nurse checked Mom with a barcode scanner before administering some medication via IV — very cool!
The room also had a laptop station, connected into the hospital’s record keeping network. That wasn’t quite as surprising — I’ve been to doctor’s offices where they keep track of patient records and prescriptions on laptops or little handheld computers that look a lot like any PDA you see around. But still, very cool to see how it all worked together.
Meanwhile, Mom and Dad were busy keeping family and friends updated via phone and laptop. I’d gotten a text message from Dad barely a half hour after the twins were delivered! Gotta love technology.
Another change I noticed from back in the day was security. Visitors to the ward had to be able to provide the name of the patient and ID if requested. Then I was given a sticker with the room number written in HUGE letters — you can read it from way down the hall. I’m sure this helps hospital staff make sure visitors go only where they’re supposed to.
One thing I missed, however, was a map. I wasn’t sure where to park, and didn’t go in the correct entrance — thankfully the information person was able to direct me. But the hospital signage could have been a little better. Then again, I have a terrible sense of direction and probably would have gotten lost even with signs!
If you’ve been at the hospital lately, what impressed you the most?