Mahkota Medical saves staff time with smart wards

The system gives nurses an extra hour and 34 minutes per patient for caregiving.

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Imagine a hospital where a patient's vital signs are monitored in real-time and alerts staff of any critical changes so they can respond in seconds. Malaysia's Mahkota Medical Centre (MMC) is one such hospital.

“Devices used to monitor blood pressure, pulse rate and temperature are directly linked to the hospital’s system,” MMC CEO Teo Chin Yee told Healthcare Asia.

Mahkota Medical Centre's smart ward system, which was developed by the hospital's nursing informatics team and information technology experts, is also connected to electronic medical records.

“This system reduces manual entry by nurses, which not only saves time but also minimises the risk of human error,” Teo said. “This helps them spend more time on patient care. Whilst the investment in this is significantly higher, we do not charge extra so room rates remain consistent across the hospital,” the MMC CEO added.

The smart wards are mainly for patients undergoing operation or radiology procedures, Teo said. Each patient has access to a bedside terminal — a tablet — to interact with the system for requests like water.

Each bed is fitted with an e-paper display that informs nurses about a patient's condition, such as whether they are at high risk of falling or on a specific diet.