SAN DIEGO, Oct. 20, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skylight Healthcare Systems' 3rd Annual Client Conference served as the product launch venue for iCareRounds(TM) -- a full-featured video communications program that links hospital patients to connected members of their care team -- enabling virtual rounding right in the patient room at the push of a button. Engaging patients and families through a secure and private connection, iCareRounds allows all members of the care team to efficiently communicate and share relevant information with the patient from remote locations within or outside of the hospital.
iCareRounds integrates smoothly with Skylight Healthcare's ACCESS(R) Interactive Patient Care System as well as the newly released iCarePassport(TM). Simple to use, powerful and secure, iCareRounds(TM) enables hospital physicians and staff to deliver communication, care, and service that help exceed patients' expectations in today's competitive acute care environment.
With patient communication as the cornerstone of a safe, comfortable and clinically optimal hospital experience, Skylight iCareRounds encourages patients and family members to actively participate in their health care. It can improve communication between clinical staff and patient/family members, and can provide a smoother and faster recovery and discharge plan.
The pilot phase of iCareRounds was recently completed and the product is slated for commercial release in the first quarter of 2010.
Built upon the Skylight ACCESS platform, iCareRounds can also be utilized by patient's family and loved ones who may be in geographically diverse locations to communicate with the patient in the hospital. Additional iCareRounds connections can also be established with pharmacists to provide medication instruction, translation and interpretation services, plus links to live classroom sessions can be made for patients with longer term hospital stays.
Anticipating the need to support multiple transactions, educational services, concurrent interactive communications, and more advanced services, Skylight developed and deployed an ultra-high bandwidth, dedicated fibre network infrastructure at the outset. This unique approach has enabled Skylight to build and deliver the next generation of patient engagement and communication products while maintaining the highest levels of network performance.
With many hospitals adopting a more transparent, consumer-driven business model, studies have found that enhanced communications between providers and patients to be powerfully linked to a hospital's financial performance. iCareRounds can help make that link between patient and caregiver even stronger by enabling better, more frequent virtual communications. iCareRounds can help patients build an emotional attachment with the hospital and its physicians. It also enables physicians to spend more time with their patients and build better rapport. Patient safety and outcomes can be improved, patient flow more streamlined, and bed turnover accelerated.
"We developed iCareRounds to enable physicians and the entire care team to spend more time with patients and to provide a higher level of care while generating greater patient satisfaction," commented David Schofield, President and CEO of Skylight Healthcare Systems. "By linking the patient to numerous services both inside and outside the hospital, we are providing a much higher level of patient engagement. Patient engagement is the remarkable bond that springs into existence whenever hospital, specialty and general practice physicians and staff provide exceptional care, treatment, and service that transcends a patient's needs and expectations. iCareRounds was designed specifically to meet those objectives."
About Skylight Healthcare Systems
Skylight(R) Healthcare Systems is the industry pioneer and leader in interactive patient care technology. With patient communication as the cornerstone of a safe, comfortable and clinically optimal hospital experience, the Skylight ACCESS(R) Interactive Patient System encourages patient and family to actively participate in their health care, improves communication between staff and patient/family members, and can provide a smoother and faster recovery and discharge plan. Skylight's vision is to provide hospitals with a robust tool which will allow them to greatly enhance interactive communication along the entire patient care continuum from pre-admission through post-discharge. In nearly 15,000 installed locations, leading hospital administrators have confidently selected Skylight Healthcare Systems as the proven choice for their interactive patient care technology. Skylight Healthcare Systems is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information about Skylight Healthcare Systems, please visit: www.Skylight.com.
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