Ontario. Sixty percent of our readers agree, calling this feature "very
useful."
Video recording is also popular, in part because it lets surgeons easi-
ly share images with the patient and family post-operatively on a
tablet, says Mary Leedom, MHA, assistant VP of perioperative services
at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Less popular: the ability to record operating notes, videoconferenc-
ing, voice activation, OR table control and room climate control. Less
than 20% of our respondents say these features are "very useful."
Bringing up the rear: telestration, or the ability to electronically
"draw" on images; just 11% say this feature is "very useful."
Downsides
Although most of the facility leaders who have installed integrated
ORs love them, they are not perfect.
One problem is that like most high-tech devices, integrated ORs
quickly become obsolete. For example, in facilities with HD monitors,
many surgeons are asking for upgrades to 4K. "The surgeons always
what the newest toy out there," says Penny Lobenstein, RN, assistant
director of surgical services at Reedsburg (Wis.) Area Medical Center.
"You have to replace [the monitors] at minimum every 5 years to keep
up with current technology," says a nurse manager at a hospital in New
York State.
Upgrades are not just about the expense. They can also mean "down
time," says a director of surgical services at a small-town
Pennsylvania hospital.
Facility leaders complain a lot about the learning curve involved.
"Integrated ORs seem too complex for some people to learn," says
Meredith Kopp, BSN, quality improvement coordinator at Children's
Mercy in Kansas City, Mo. As a result, "we don't take full advantage of
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