Platform for efficient switching between multiple devices in the intensive care unit

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Technology
• Clinical Systems Engineering

Background:

• Handheld devices like tablets and smartphones are increasingly prevalent in clinical settings, including Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
• Efficient integration of these devices into healthcare workflows is crucial for timely and accurate clinical decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a platform facilitating efficient switching between multiple devices in the ICU.
• To integrate the platform into medical staff workflows, providing tailored, dynamic information at the point of care.

Main Methods:

• A 3-tier architecture was employed, prioritizing extensibility, scalability, and user experience.
• Near Field Communication (NFC) enables device identification, displaying relevant medical information tailored to each device's visualization capabilities.
• A web-centric approach ensures extensibility and portability.

Main Results:

• A prototype evaluation confirmed the platform's scalability, performance, and user experience.
• Performance tests demonstrated a linear relationship between response time and data volume.
• No performance degradation was observed with up to 20 concurrent devices.

Conclusions:

• The platform offers a scalable and responsive solution for efficient multi-device switching in ICUs.
• Its web-centric design allows for easy integration of new devices.
• Evaluated performance and scalability metrics fall within acceptable ranges for clinical application.