10 Healthcare IT Innovators: InformationWeek 500
September 14, 2011 12:02 AM InformationWeek 500 healthcare companies and hospitals are using technology in inventive ways to improve care. These innovations include a unique virtual reality system for burn victims, "Smart Rooms," and a customized program to track application and system performance problems. Take a quick peek at 10 of these IT initiatives in our slideshow.
Lehigh Valley Burn Center's Virtual Reality System
The Lehigh Valley Health Network Regional Burn Center was exploring an adjunct pain management approach when it came up with an innovative virtual reality system. Its challenge was to find a hardware and software combination that offered distraction and pain relief without the use of head gear or goggles that might harm patients with facial burns. Similarly, the system could not pose obstacles for patients who had hand and arm burns that would limit their movements.
A vendor was able to customize a system that allows the virtual reality display to be suspended from a photography-based articulating arm, which is customized to accept the display. Suspended from the arm, the display has minimal contact with the patient, yet provides near full immersion into the virtual environment. The patient enters a VR world that provides a fun-filled snow-like environment in which he or she is able to throw snowballs at animals and characters, while moving around the cool ,snowy world.
Overall InformationWeek 500 ranking: 56
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