Patient terminal specialist JAOtech and the pioneers of the column hospital bed, Linet, are partnering to create a connected bed that can collect patient data and transmit it to a hospital IT infrastructure. Linet beds fitted with JAOtech terminals are being exhibited at Medica in Düsseldorf, 19-22 November 2008.

 

Linet and JAOtech will work to achieve full integration of patient terminals into the bed. “Our goal is to transfer data from patient care systems at the bedside to a local or wide area network at the care location, enhancing bed and patient management,” said Tomas Kolar, Marketing Director, Proxy at Linet. “Achieving this will unlock a new dimension of patient care – allowing real time remote monitoring of patient condition, with automatic alarms for specific events. These events can extend from a simple bed exit alarm to potentially more critical parameters like heart rate or blood pressure level.”

 

He added, “JAOtech patient terminals provide the perfect hardware link between the bed and the hospital IT system. Their well-considered design is compatible with ward hygiene demands, and provides appropriate facilities for patients and ward staff alike. JAOtech is a forward thinking company that will keep its terminal design at the leading edge of PC technology.”

 

Warren Kressinger-Dunn, Managing Director of JAOtech, added, “Hospital beds are at the centre of patient care, and we are excited by Linet’s vision of integrating them fully into the hospital’s information system. Linet is a true pioneer in healthcare, and its beds are in use in their thousands throughout the European Union. Their vision takes our terminals beyond straightforward triple-play voice, TV and Internet services and makes them an integral part of the hospital’s IT.”

 

The Linet booth at Medica will feature four JAOtech terminals connected to the Internet. The booth will provide an initial demonstration showing how JAOtech terminals can be connected to a Linet bed, to support patient monitoring using a graph of patient weight as a simple demonstration. The two companies will be working together on a more complete integration of their products in the coming months.