When HCI Editor-in-Chief Anthony Guerra first pitched the idea of virtual hospital tours to the editorial staff about a month or two ago, I was very excited (that is, once I discovered that it in no way involved some kind of “virtual reality” experiment). The concept of actually getting to see the technologies and the people we write about in their everyday workflow is very intriguing to me.
The last time I really spent time in a hospital was four years ago when my niece Bridget was born. And during that visit, I was focused solely on finding the maternity wing so I could see the little one (actually she wasn’t little – big babies run in the family. Lucky me!). In my haste to meet the newest family member, I didn’t take time to notice things like mobile clinical carts, RFID tags or imaging systems.
But next Monday, I will have that chance. I’m headed to Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich. for my first hospital tour. I think will be a great opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes and to witness the technology at work. I’m just crossing my fingers that the airlines don’t squash my plans. Wish me luck!
