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New technology at North Carolina hospital improves ICU care

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, September 6, 2007

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Aiming to improve patient outcomes in the critical care unit, a North Carolina hospital has implemented a new, $4.2 million electronic patient monitoring system.

The new system, called eLink, was installed last December at Moses Cone Health System, based in Greensboro, NC. To help enhance the working environment, the system centralizes the monitoring of all 97 critical care beds within its four statewide campuses.

Patients are monitored from work stations over a series of four screens. One screen displays images from a video camera in the patient's room; the second records system alerts, and the last two monitor various records, such as pharmacy orders and radiology reports. A fifth screen, not connected to eLink, shows the patient's bedside monitor readings, including blood pressure. Staff members can alert the patient's nurse as soon as they notice any irregularities.

Since implementing the system, hospital officials note that the average length of stay amongst ICU patients has dropped from 4.2 days to 3.5 days, adding that eLink have helped retain experienced nurses by having them participate in the monitoring.

Sources: The Greensboro News & Record, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Other articles of interest:

Ventilator-associated pneumonia in ICUs linked to nursing shortage

Students get a feel for new technology

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