Smart tech creates seamless experience for nervous patients

Smart bands direct patients from the elevator to the exam rooms where they will complete prep and recovery.

Photo courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian

Knowing that patient anxiety and stress can be contributing factors to a patient’s health, the leaders of NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital and its design team looked for smart ways to create a seamless and calming experience at its newest ambulatory care center.

The David H. Koch Center is home to a wide range of ambulatory services, including outpatient surgery, interventional radiology, diagnostic imaging, infusion services and the Integrative Health and Wellbeing program. To ensure that navigating the 740,000-square-foot center doesn’t turn into a stress-filled event, the center includes a number of technologies to direct patients and loved ones.

Patients can bypass a traditional check-in by completing paperwork remotely and securely before their visit via the NYP mobile app or online. Once they arrive, patients are offered a personalized smart band that provides access to the building and rooms they will need to enter during their visit. They also can use the app to receive instructions about their visit and step-by-step directions to their exam prep and recovery room.

Once a doctor gives the OK for a patient’s discharge, that patient can use the app to retrieve his or her car from the valet service, review test results and schedule video follow-up appointments.

The smart technology even extends to family and friends who also receive a smart band during the visit that allows them to access the building. They also receive a tablet to stream entertainment, and real-time text message updates keep them apprised of the patient’s progress.

“Our goal in creating the NewYork-Presbyterian David H. Koch Center was to develop a new vision for what ambulatory care could be by focusing first and foremost on patients’ needs and the delivery of exceptional care,” says Steven J. Corwin, M.D., president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian. “Every decision about the design and operation of this building was made with the patient in mind, from the quick and easy check-in to the private prep and recovery rooms, light-filled treatment areas and real-time status updates. This is truly an environment that was designed for healing, and we believe it represents the future of ambulatory care.”