What You Should Know:
– WellSpan Health, a leading healthcare system in Pennsylvania, is harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver innovative care solutions that tackle two critical challenges: patient safety and nurse burnout.
– The strategic initiative, powered by the Artisight platform, promises a future of optimized care and improved well-being for both patients and healthcare professionals.
Two-Pronged Approach
Artisight empowers WellSpan nurses through two key programs:
Virtual Sitter: A system that remotely monitors patients at risk for falls, forgetfulness, or tampering with critical medical equipment. AI algorithms analyze patient movement and trigger instant alerts if the risk of a fall increases, prompting a virtual nursing assistant to intervene and call for in-person assistance if needed.
Virtual Nurse: This program allows nurses to remotely conduct routine tasks like patient admissions, discharges, and education. This frees up their time for more intensive patient interactions and streamlines administrative workflows.
WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital Pilot Results
A pilot program at WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital yielded impressive results: a 39% reduction in patient falls and a 25% improvement in nurse well-being. These gains showcase the potential of Artisight to revolutionize healthcare delivery. Key benefits include:
– Patients: Enhanced safety and security with round-the-clock monitoring, leading to a 10% improvement in perceived safety.
– Nurses: Increased efficiency and reduced workload, freeing up time for direct patient care, and enhancing job satisfaction.
– Healthcare System: Improved staffing utilization, better allocation of resources, and potential cost savings.
WellSpan Future Expansion Capabilities
With the Artisight platform in place, WellSpan explores expanding its applications:
Specialty Consults: Remote specialists can join patient consultations, reducing wait times and improving access to care.
Family Care Conferences: Virtual participation ensures inclusivity for family members regardless of location.
Additional Virtual Nursing Tasks: Pain reassessment and other routine procedures could be added to the virtual nurse’s repertoire.
“While many AI solutions solve a single problem well, we are discovering that the Artisight platform may be able to solve many problems for us,” says Dr. R. Hal Baker, senior vice president and chief digital information officer at WellSpan. “We’re exploring those possibilities as we imagine what’s next with this platform.”