ShawneeDispatch.com

Shawnee Mission Medical Center and Skylight Healthcare Systems recently announced the launch and deployment of a bedside information system for its 383-bed facility in Merriam.

The Skylight ACCESS system provides patients with customized health information, education and interactive services, all at the bedside. Skylight ACCESS has demonstrated improved patient satisfaction and outcomes, while enhancing the entire patient care continuum for health care professionals, patients and their families, Shawnee Mission officials said.

Through the Skylight ACCESS system, hospital patients now have direct access to disease- and condition-specific health information, connection to patient support departments and a real-time feedback forum that allows Shawnee Mission to solicit patient feedback and provide immediate service recovery to address patient issues. Patients will also have access to high-speed Internet, e-mail and other first-class entertainment options including movies, music and games.

Hospital officials said the system would help alleviate patient anxiety during their hospital stay. The hospital also said it would increase the time clinicians spend providing direct patient care and improve the effectiveness of patient education efforts.

Typical results from hospitals using Skylight have shown that after launch and deployment of the ACCESS system, overall patient satisfaction scores have risen by 8 percent, while patient satisfaction with health education offerings increased by as much as 42 percent.

The hospital debuted the system at an event Tuesday. For more information, visit shawneemission.org.