Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare is working with vendor Andor Health to bring virtual patient observation technology to its hospitals. The health system said inpatient monitoring technology will provide an additional layer of safety interventions for patients who need additional monitoring and care.
Orlando-based Andor said its ThinkAndor solution leverages generative AI to unlock data stored in multiple systems, including ambient listening and real-time visualization, to detect common safety risks such as falls, self-harm and leaks.
Emory Healthcare will pilot virtual nanny technology in November at two of its hospitals, remotely monitoring at-risk patients on medical and surgical floors and in emergency departments.
As hospitals across the country face staffing shortages, this solution allows AI to observe patients so team members can return to other direct patient care roles, Emory said.
“Andor Health’s virtual patient observer/virtual caregiver technology expands our virtual health initiatives at Emory Healthcare, while reducing the burden on nurses and other team members,” said Jason Atkins, RN, vice president and chief operating officer. clinical informatics from Emory Digital, a part of Emory Healthcare, in a statement. “Currently, nursing assistants, nursing technicians or other members of the Emory team serve as caregivers for some of our hospitalized patients.”
Andor Health virtual observers, working with registered nurses in a monitoring center, use voice-activated technology to remotely speak with at-risk patients and remind them to stay in bed, call for help or provide other guidance, while alerting to Emory Healthcare staff on site. of security concerns. Monitoring services will be provided 24/7.
“At its core, we have a shared vision of how we can transform clinical paradigms with the latest innovation in AI and virtual collaboration experiences,” Raj Toleti, president and CEO of Andor Health, said in a statement. “Advances in new technologies, such as AI-based generative virtual session and environmental monitoring, open opportunities to reduce operational burdens, staff shortages and costs, while allowing the health system to focus on providing care “Progressive health systems like Emory Healthcare can leverage the capabilities of virtual hospitals, such as virtual sessions at scale, to effectively observe patients while optimizing staff with this additional support.”
Emory Healthcare will use Andor Health’s virtual caregiver/patient observer technology in 32 inpatient rooms during the first year of the collaboration and plans to add the technology to an additional 50 rooms in the second year.
“We are on a mission to embrace digital innovation and high-tech solutions to help us deliver safe, quality care to our patients,” Alistair Erskine, MD, chief information and digital officer at Emory Healthcare, says in a statement. “This collaboration enhances our inpatient monitoring resources at Emory by leveraging virtual and artificial intelligence capabilities to support the best outcomes for patients.”
