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exhaled into the OR, which presents an employee safety issue, or vented out of
the facility, which has an adverse environmental impact.
3
Electronic communication
A large desktop area has long been a useful perk in an anesthesia work-
station, giving the provider adequate space to take notes on the details of
the case. This feature might not be quite as ergonomically necessary to
providers, however, when a workstation's connectivity to a facility's electronic
medical records system is doing the digital record-keeping for them.
Anesthesia machines' automated, integrated communications are compatible
with most EMR systems, says Mr. Bonnette, and they're more than just time
savers. "There's a lot of information in anesthesia that needs to be recorded," he
says. "Connected machines can capture more of it, with fewer mistakes. That
lets providers focus more on patient care, and less on note taking."
The information that workstations capture can also be tailored to the surgical
situation. "Machines are now available that are site-specific for the facility
where they will be used," says Mr. Ruspantine. "Those that are going to be in a
hospital will have more monitoring capabilities," while the more compact units
for ASCs and offices can report on just the basics.
Dr. Lawson points out that machines with built-in monitoring capabilities
eliminate the need to relay vitals signs information to separate components. But
if you do want to send the information to monitors in the OR, make sure they're
compatible with your machine. For example, check that the machine can com-
municate non-invasive blood pressure and pulse oximetry readings to stand-
alone monitors.
Machines can be interrogated and updated just like your iPhone.
— Gary Lawson, MD
