The system is powered by the Skylight Healthcare Systems company, based in San Diego. It was just five years old when it began to work on the Stanford Hospital project. "Ten years ago, people were running down the hall looking for the VCR cart," said company spokesperson Darrell Atkin, "and people were sharing a 13-inch Zenith."

"Traditionally, in a hospital, we were able to offer television programming and that was it," said Lang. As Stanford asked for new features ’like instant, whole system language translations from English to Spanish, Skylight responded. "There were thoughts and ideas we had had," said Skylight CEO Dave Schofield, "but Stanford provided a platform to take it to a whole other level. We hold Stanford up as a standard bearer for customization, especially that involving patient demographics."

Stanford also wanted patients to have Internet connection choices, too. Patients can read their email using the SAYS remote control-like handset and a hospital-provided keyboard. Or, if patients have their own laptops, they can connect through a nearby data port without ever getting out of bed.

The SAYS handset, which can be held to the ear or rested on the bed, also has a speaker in it. That means there's no need to turn volume up high enough to hear across the room. All those great sunsets and sunrises on the Window channel were selected by a Hospital program manager David Rebhan, who chose from many locations from around the world. "I felt like Martin Scorcese," he said, referring to a well-known film director. Not unsurprisingly, the Window channel is proving very popular with patients. "It's very relaxing," Rebhan said.

Lang said future plans for SAYS include its use by patients to order food, instead of paper menus. The system will know what kind of diet a patient has been prescribed and limit food choices to a pre-established menu. "If they're on a low salt diet," Lang said, "they will not be able to order bacon!"

Source: Stanford Hospital & Clinics