Even If You’re Ill, You Can Still Stay Connected
If shopping is indeed a form of therapy, why does nobody seem to get better? Because of one innovation, one group of shoppers may start.
Hospitals have begun installing Internet systems, complete with dedicated shopping channels, to help patients pick up goods they will need for their recuperation. The idea is that patients and visitors who are busy shopping and browsing the Web will be happier, less prone to bother nurses, and more likely to arm themselves with health care information that can help smooth the patient’s recovery.
Northwestern Memorial last year spent an undisclosed amount to install 42-inch flat-screen televisions and Internet connections near each of the 200 beds in its new women’s hospital building. The screens are big enough, and close enough, for patients to read the text on Web pages, which patients click through with a remote-control keyboard and mouse. They may also zoom in on certain parts of a page.
When users switch on the screen, they see a welcome page with four links — for TV, the Web, medical education and hospital information. In the last category, patients can adjust the temperature in their rooms and order meals.
Photo by Gregg Matthews.
Perry on October 21st, 2008 5:40 pm
Anyone ever tell you that you look like Max Kellerman? heh, seriously, great blog, ill be back.
Shanita on October 21st, 2008 8:46 pm
That’s a welcome idea. Elders these days feel very dependent and insecure after a certain age. They need to be taken care o f the right way. Internet Shopping for that they need really helps them a lot and they would be less dependent on nurses. Its a very good move by the management of Northwestern Memorial and this really makes the patients feel good !
Angela on October 22nd, 2008 5:53 pm
My first thought is that it takes a lot of money to do something like that. Is it really that necessary? I’m willing to bet that there is something much more important than that system elsewhere in the building which could have used an improvement.
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