We’re a long way from the days when “audiovisual” meant a projector, a screen, and a collection of slides—or, more contemporarily, a PowerPoint presentation. Audiovisual systems in the hospital encompass tools and technologies barely envisioned at the turn of the 21st century. Ranging from integrated operating rooms and patient bedside information modalities, to interactive training programs and telemedicine, to videoconferencing (both big-screen and small-screen) and smartphones, the planning and design of these systems has evolved in many directions.
Contributing Editors Richard L. Peck and Barbara Horwitz-Bennett asked specialists directly involved in these projects to identify recent developments and the opportunities they offer.
CONSULTANT
Michael Shafer, CTS
Principal Consultant, The Sextant Group, Phoenix
What are the top trends you are seeing in audiovisual system design in healthcare facilities?
I’d say the number one trend is the delivery of integrated digital services to the patient’s bedside: patient information delivered both pre- and post-surgery; treatment education; billing information; the Internet; and entertainment, such as games, TV, and movies—far from the wall-mounted TV of years ago, today, multimedia is delivered via a screen at the bedside. Even though the hospital may be fully served by wireless, for the patient room, this is wired technology because of interference concerns with medical equipment.
