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Healthcare in the News

Recently I read an article in Wired about the ideal hospital of the future. It is based off of a project called "Patient Room 2020" where a non-profit design firm called NXT made a proposed vision of the ultimate hospital room in the year 2020. As a patient, I must say, I'm impressed. If I have to go inpatient in the future, sign me up for this place. 


First of all, I'd love the view this room has, as well as how open and airy it looks. There is nothing worst  than feeling trapped and cooped up in a small hospital room with a bad view. Also, this room is so full of technology that it looks like the Apple store. Three things were noted in the article: 

When caregivers enter a room LED lights make the sink glow red reminding them to wash their hands, when properly disinfected the sink turn green.

A patient's dinner tray can be flipped over, so that the patient can turn on the lights, call their nurse, review their progress, and play games/use it like an iPad. 



Last but not least, once a patient is ready to go home, medical peripherals like blood pressure cuffs would be detached from the room and sent home with patients. Software tools embedded in the room would be translated into a friendly quantified self app that will allow patients to check in with a care manager remotely. 

What about those out there with chronic illness? Do you have any ideas to add? None of us want to be hospitalized, but I'm sure we all have things we have seen in the hospital that could be improved.

In other healthcare news, I saw that US News and World Report came out with their updated list of top hospitals and docs. I noticed some of my doctors on there, and some were not. My reaction was shock, as I truly trust and value my doctors', and was frustrated they didn't "make the cut." Does anyone else out there feel the same way? How important is it when picking a doctor is it that they are affiliated with a "top hospital"? How does one pick a doctor anyways? That is a topic for another day, but I'm open to your strategies! 

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