Smart Rooms Devices as a Modality of Enhancing Patient Engagement

Introduction: Recent literature has demonstrated that increased patient engagement is linked to improved patient outcomes. As such, hospitals are currently attempting to increase patient engagement via use of digital tools. One potential digital tool is a Smart Rooms Device, a voiceassistant integrated into hospital rooms. The goal of this investigation is to identify modalities by which patients intend to engage with the Smart Rooms Device. Methods: This is a prospective interview study conducted between 11/20/2019 and 12/17/2019, whereby patients from the TJU Observation Unit were asked pre-determined interview questions in order to ascertain potential device usages. Results: 12 patients were approached and 7 were interviewed (4 male, 3 male), with a median age of 50 (age range: 18-59). When asked about potential uses, 7 patients (100%) identified that they would use the device to: (1) request an item or (2) adjust a room setting. 6 patients (86%) would use the device to: (1) ask questions pertaining to their diagnosis or (2) call for a medical professional. When given the choice, 5 patients (71%) would prefer to discuss their medical care with a medical professional rather than a Smart Rooms Device. When asked why they would want to use the device, 6 patients (86%) noted that a device is faster than conventional modalities, and 3 patients (43%) noted that it is less work for nurses. Discussion: Overall, the interviewed patients appear to prefer discussing specifics of their medical care with a professional rather than the device but would readily use the device if given the option for a variety of non-urgent tasks. Future research should continue interviewing patients in order to develop a larger database of patient responses to draw conclusions from and to identify additional modes of engagement with the Smart Rooms device