WHAT IS IT? The virtual nurse is intended to provide patients with a comprehensive informational review upon checkout. The idea is that patients using the computerized device will be able to take their time and better absorb the vital information for their continuing recovery at home. Patients might not otherwise pick up this information if they couldn't ask hospital staff all the questions that were on their mind. The results of the trial reduced the hospital's 30-day readmission rate.
HOW DO TOUCHSCREENS WORK? Touchscreens are computer interfaces that allow the user to interact with a display screen via a stylus or finger. Resistive or capacitive touchscreens sense the presence of a finger electrically and register the digit's location. Other methods of detection may use ultrasonic waves or pressure gauges. There are also optical methods that feature a grid of infrared beams, which are interrupted when the user touches the screen.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.-USA, and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.