Hands-Free Data Interaction Tool Gives Healthcare Providers New Solution to Prevent Surgical Errors

The Garage, an innovative health IT company based in Florida, has the solution for healthcare teams to deliver the highest quality and safety practices. Introducing AiR, one of the world's first hands-free, fully integrated and interactive tools for the OR.

ORLANDO, FL - February 18, 2014 - Surgical errors occur more than 4,000 times a year in the U.S. 1; at least 39 and 20 times per week, respectively, surgeons leave foreign objects, such towels and sponges, inside their patients, perform the wrong surgery, or operate on the wrong body part.2A game-changing data interaction tool debuting at HIMSS14 gives healthcare providers a new tool to address these challenges. Developed by The Garage, AiR is one of the world's first hands-free, fully integrated and interactive platforms designed to prevent wrong-site/wrong-side surgery and related surgical errors. Built on the Microsoft Kinect platform, AiR increases patient satisfaction, improves OR efficiency, generates better outcomes, and enables healthcare teams to deliver quality and safety at the highest levels.

The Garage will showcaseAiRin booth 4088 at the 2014 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, February 24-27, at the Orange County Convention Center, West Building in Orlando. HIMSS14 brings together 37,000+ healthcare IT professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the world.

AiR introduces an intuitive patient safety product by integrating voice command, gestures and clinical data.The patent-pending, patient safety-centric innovation provides scrubbed surgical teams with easy, hands-free voice and gesture access to pertinent patient records and surgical details, as well as the ability to zoom in or out of images (such as DiCom) without ever touching a surface. The product's other key features and functions include seamless integration with backend EMR/surgery scheduling program to pre-populate data; visual surgical site marking using extensive mapping; real-time audits (AiR's camera functionality documents and verifies the surgical site and procedure, "Time Out" process, and surgical findings); in-surgery dictation; real-time reports via a web-based interface; and click and touch capabilities. AiR can be prominently displayed in the OR to allow for all staff to view the patient screen, increasing accountability and communication. Offering the best in class

ROI, the product is affordable and very easy to install.

"AiR is a game-changer in the patient safety and OR efficiency marketplace," said The Garage Founder and CEO Pranam Ben. "Everyone benefits: surgical teams can conduct procedures with ease and confidence, while healthcare organizations protect patients, comply with industry regulations, and reduce the potential risks and costs associated with wrong-site/wrong-side surgeries and related surgical 'never events'."

Representatives from several Florida-based surgical centers where AiR is now deployed highlightedits benefits. "This technology works, and it has tremendous potential to significantly improve surgical processes," commentedDr. Amit Varma withClermont Surgical and Ambulatory Center. "AiR provides a much needed true 'Time-Out' audit, focusing on the safety of the patient and in turn improving surgical care," said Jackie Donahue, manager of Beth Israel Surgical Center in Pompano Beach. "It helps our staff adhere to the highest quality and safety practices," added Ivan Reyes, CEO of Broward Medical Center in Pompano Beach. "I anticipate AiR will also increase our patient satisfaction numbers."

AiR's patient safety module is the first area of focus for The Garage as it rolls out its innovative product. Other healthcare applications for AiR include clinical analysis; interactive training; care interventions; health education; and patient entertainment. The Garage will also showcase several other health IT innovations at HIMSS14.

About The Garage

The Garage is an innovative health information technology (IT) company re-imagining and building breakthrough products to help hospitals and health systems enhance patient safety, increase patient engagement and improve care coordination. With an exclusive focus on healthcare, particularly mobile technology, clinical integration and hands-free applications, the company has deep domain expertise and has built unique, compliant solutions now being marketed across North America. Headquartered in Orlando, The Garage is becoming a leading industry champion in the quest to enhance and protect the healthcare experience for patients and providers through IT innovations. For more information, visit The Garage's website (www.thegaragein.com), Facebook, Twitter (@TheGaragein) and LinkedIn pages.

SOURCES

  1. "Surgical never events in the United States," https://www.surgjournal.com/article/S0039-6060(12)00623-X/abstract
  2.  "Johns Hopkins Malpractice Study: Surgical 'Never Events' .."
    https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/johns hopkins
    malpractice study surgical never events occurat least 4000 times per year
    ), 2012)
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