Your2ndPlace

I was one of a few who got a first look at a Cisco sponsored Second Life build of a future hospital - Palomar West Hospital. It was a demonstration of an automated hospital concept - my pictures of it can be found here. The PR was handled by Text100 and the event itself (and the build) were done by MillionsOfUs.
The build was, of course, nice - and the automation features were interesting, though someone asked a good question on WiFi interfering with telemetry. The walkthrough was a little alien for people (no need to get into the details), it seemed, but it did demonstrate the automation of many parts of the medical process. I'm tossing around whether or not I actually like the concept, especially in light of a recent post I wrote on where Medicine is going.
I must note that this was the first Cisco event attended where I saw no one from Cisco, and I must admit some disappointment that the people who were to answer technical questions were not there. There were lots of things that I wanted to ask about the direction of the real world project.

I had actually planned to announce this beforehand, but didn't have a time, place and confirmation myself until this morning.

The SLUrl for the hospital, should it be open to the public, is PalomarWest Hospital (33,127,34).

The press release is below:

CISCO HELPS PALOMAR POMERADO HEALTH OPEN “HOSPITAL OF THE FUTURE” THREE YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE – IN SECOND LIFE

PPH and Cisco Offer First Glimpse of Advanced Building Design and Connected Hospital Technologies in Online Virtual World

ORLANDO, Fl. – HIMSS CONFERENCE - February 25, 2008 – Cisco® and Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH) today ‘cut the ribbon’ on a new hospital in the online virtual world, Second Life. The virtual hospital – a simulation of a real world hospital campus due to open in 2011 - gives visitors the opportunity to tour the hospital years before its doors actually open.

The virtual hospital has been created to showcase the rich assortment of design and technology innovations planned for the real world Palomar West Medical Campus in San Diego, California, and to gather feedback that will be used to enhance the way that care is delivered. The immersive quality of Second Life allows visitors to experience the progressive ‘nature-embracing’ design of the hospital first hand. Visitors will also be able to experience ‘Connected Hospital’ technologies that will be delivered in the real hospital by Cisco.

Highlights of the virtual Palomar West include:

* Cisco TelePresence - Visitors are welcomed to Palomar West in Second Life by a virtual receptionist remotely-located via Cisco TelePresence, a new technology that uses high-definition video and spatial audio to create unique ‘in person’ experiences via the network.
* Advanced robotics – The simulation shows Palomar West’s operating rooms which include advanced robotics and functional imaging systems capable of supporting medical procedures spanning interventional radiology, cardiovascular surgery, urology and gastroenterology. An advanced surgical cockpit, from where a surgeon can manipulate robotic systems remotely while viewing vital signs and functional imaging information in real time, is also featured.

* Communication and Collaboration – The simulation shows how the Cisco Unified Communications system facilitates smooth patient and clinician communication at Palomar West. For example, a radiologist can locate a specialist, contact them on their phone, laptop or PDA, and initiate a desktop collaboration session to review and consult on patient scan images thanks to the network that links picture archiving systems with communications tools.

· 3D Holographic Medical Imaging – Palomar West will feature mobile, remote-controlled, 3D holographic whole body multi-modality medical imaging systems which can be directed into any patient room.

· Connected Real Estate - In the real Palomar West, all building, communication, IT, and clinical systems will be converged onto a single Cisco Medical-Grade Network. The simulation shows how nearly all aspects of a patient’s stay - including ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, security, fire and life safety, digital devices and signage – will be monitored and managed via applications running on a single network, freeing up clinicians to focus on providing the very best care.

* Visibility and Tracking Solutions – Visitors are guided through Palomar West by radio frequency-enabled sensors which enhance security and safety through patient tracking, and protect hospital property by tracking equipment in real time.

Construction of the real world $811 million Palomar Medical Center West campus is due to be completed in 2011. The new facility intends to positively transform the traditional health care experience that is normally associated with staying or working in a hospital.

The campus will epitomize Cisco and PPH’s shared vision of a ‘Connected Hospital’ where technology and the physical environment seamlessly integrate to enhance patient care through the sharing of timely, accurate information among the right people at the right time, between hospitals and the extended ecosystem of care.

In addition to embracing the latest connected health technologies, Palomar West has been physically designed to provide a high-performance healing environment through a constant connection with nature. Outdoor features of the campus showcased in the Second Life simulation include garden spaces, areas for dining, meeting or relaxing; a pedestrian path and garden connecting all buildings; a green roof bringing gardens up onto the building and views into patient rooms; and garden terraces on the nursing floor.

Palomar West in Second Life also provides visitors with a view of the design of individual patient rooms on the new Palomar West campus. Features of these rooms will include:

· Same handed, acuity adaptable rooms and cross discipline interventional procedure/operating rooms. Acuity adaptable rooms can be transformed, even if a patient’s condition changes, without having to move patients from unit to unit. Any necessary equipment can be brought into the room on as-needed basis, further reducing the need for patient transport.

* Each patient room is designed with a nursing station immediately outside of the room, so the intensity of service can be adjusted as needed.
* Every room in Palomar West is single occupancy and identical in layout and design. This maximizes efficiency and minimizes medical errors.

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