S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 2 3
T
here's a universe of surgical monitors out there of varying
sizes, features and functionality. Where do you start in evaluat-
ing your options? As a healthcare equipment planner, I've con-
sulted many facilities on these important decisions. Here are the fac-
tors you need to consider.
• What procedures do you do? One size doesn't fit all with moni-
tors. Some are better for certain types of surgeries. Take 4K monitors,
which offer super-high and more lifelike video resolution than HD. In
many cases, an HD monitor will suit your surgeon just fine.
Orthopedists looking more broadly at bone rather than at finer things
like tissues and tendons probably don't need a 4K monitor. 3D sounds
dazzling, but make sure your surgeons rigorously trial the 3D system
and confirm that they really need or want it — and the glasses.
Color rendering might be important to surgeons for procedures that
involve examining tissue, so you'll want to make sure the monitor
presents colors exactly as the surgeon wants them to appear. Also
account for where viewers will be standing in the OR. While this is
very rarely an issue with modern LCD screens, which approach
absolute 180-degree viewing angles, you don't want anyone to get the
distorted "screen door effect" — like viewing something through the
mesh of a screen door — if they're looking at the monitor from a
sharp angle.
• Size matters. You might assume "the bigger the better," but that's
not the case in the OR. If you're at home and sitting 3 feet away from
your TV, a massive 70-inch screen would overwhelm your eyes.
Screen sizes should be determined by viewing distance; there are for-
mulas out there that let you calculate how large a screen you need
Video Monitors
Sorting through the wide variety of OR display options.
Thinking of Buying…
Suraj S. Soudagar, MS, MBA, LEED AP