Sold? Then, here's my plan for diagnostic hospital rooms.
# Design the hospital buildings so that they promote better hospital efficiency, cost less to run, provide help for the nurses and automate some of the services. All they need do is scatter the appropriate hardware and software around. Here are a few futuristic suggestions.
Suggestion One
Use infrared cameras for monitoring patients. The current approach is to impair patient sleep by leaving the lights on. Rest cures better than floodlights. The infrared feature is particularly appropriate for hospitals supporting sleep labs. I've spent 152 nights trying to get some shuteye in various sleep labs and not one of the test sites was conducive to sleeping. In the first place, the lights made me think we had 24-hours of daylight whereas even a 1-watt nightlight keeps me awake. In the second place, they wouldn't let me block out the glare with my pillow. I guess they wanted to monitor how I reacted to a hostile environment while trying to sleep. I definitely screwed up that test.
Suggestion Two
Place moisture sensors in all of the beds. This form of automation will alert the nurse's station whenever kidney problems create the need for a bed to be changed. Intuitive studies have shown that it's more efficient to promptly change beds than to treat a bad case of bedsores. This measure has become much more critical now that most nurses have quit giving nightly alcohol rubdowns due to staff cutbacks.
Suggestion Three
Provide hospital beds with temperature sensors. That way, the nurse's stations would know when a patient starts smoking. Some diligent hospitals might even position sprinklers directly over the beds. Then, they could handle a smoker-alert without hefting bulky fire extinguishers. Drenching with water is safer than smothering with foam. In addition, drenched patients are much less likely to sneak in a second smoke than those who got by with only a scolding.
Suggestion Four
Temperature sensors would also improve on occupancy rates by alerting the staff whenever a patient's temperature drops below 40. Comatose patients seldom pay their bills promptly.
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