A pilot program in over 100 patient rooms at Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai lets patients use an Alexa-powered platform called Aiva to interact with nurses and control their entertainment.
Aiva is the world's first patient-centered voice assistant platform for hospitals and allows patients to have hands-free interactions with their care team.
For the pilot program, patient rooms are equipped with Amazon Echos, and patients can tell the device what they need. Patients can turn their TV off and on and change channels by giving verbal commands like, "Alexa, change the channel to ESPN."
A patient who requires assistance getting out of bed may say, "Alexa, tell my nurse I need to get up to use the restroom."
The patient's request is then routed to the mobile phone of the appropriate caregiver. For example, a pain medicine request would be routed to a registered nurse, while a bathroom request would be routed to a clinical partner. The Aiva platform will send the request up the chain of command if it is not answered in a timely manner.
"Whereas previously nurses were frequently asked to help with the in-room television, Alexa does that job for us, allowing nurses to focus on providing the highest level of patient care," said Golda Morales, assistant nurse manager of general surgery at Cedars-Sinai.
The devices also include Alexa features that let patients feel more connected to the outside world, such as asking the device to play music and asking it about the weather and sports.
"Smart rooms are all about improving satisfaction for both patients and nurses," said Sumeet Bhatia, founder and CEO of Aiva. "Cedars-Sinai and Aiva are giving patients more entertainment options, more control over their environment and closer communication with their care team."