Reno, Nev.-based Renown Health is using virtual nursing tools to assist floor nurses and connect patients with care when they need it, Renown Chief Medical Information Officer Sarah Kramer, MD, told Becker's.
"We are looking at a virtualized health center that is through a vendor that uses artificial intelligence to check on a patient's pace of motion, pace of voice, pressure on bed to help mitigate things like fall risk," said Dr. Kramer.
The system allows the patient in crisis to immediately connect with a virtual nurse, who will let them know that help is on the way.
"I think that's very promising is that buddy system of having virtual nurses assisting nurses and using the AI-enabled technology," said Dr. Kramer.
The program is also designed to give job opportunities to more experienced nurses who can serve in the virtual role but can no longer perform more strenuous bedside work.
In December 2021, Renown inked a deal with remote patient monitoring company BioIntellisense to monitor patients' vitals through worn sensors.
Hospitals and health systems across the country are turning to virtual tools as a way to alleviate the staffing crisis.