Assistive Technology for Innovation of Nursing Workflow

Abstract

Health policy in Japan defines that the number of hospital beds should be reformed by the following hospital function in the community, and work-sharing should progress among hospitals. Therefore, work-sharing should be advanced among relevant professionals (e.g. nurses and other healthcare providers). The Inpatient Devices Working Group (IDWG) thought about the importance on the issue, while having discussed what kind of nursing work could be reduced by using inpatient devices. By the result of the discussion, IDWG suggested that the assistive technology is now used in writing records, talking to other nurses and/or health providers and sharing information (including reading records). Hence, it should be discussed whether it is better for nurses to use inpatient devices (various cameras and sensors) while reducing the number of visits to the bedside in light of both effective and ethical issues.