Technology innovations provide a better patient experience at Westmead CASB

Westmead’s Central Acute Services Building (CASB), the centrepiece of the Westmead Health Precinct redevelopment and the tallest health building in Australia, was officially opened in March 2021.

As the largest tertiary hospital in western Sydney, Westmead Hospital is renowned for the comprehensive range of highly specialised and complex services it provides, not just for local communities, but for people from regional New South Wales and across Australia. It is also a teaching hospital, assigning almost 2000 students from the University of Sydney School of Medicine, for study, research or clinical placements across a number of disciplines and faculties, supported by almost 1000 staff members and affiliates.

Innovation, research and education

The hospital’s reputation for clinical excellence was not reflected in its ageing infrastructure, and in 2016, the NSW Government committed $750 million to expand capacity and revitalise the precinct by co-locating complex and critical care services into a purpose-built facility to link Westmead Hospital and the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The CASB is a collaboration between Westmead Hospital, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the University of Sydney, aimed at providing cutting-edge health, innovation, research and education.

A better patient experience

The facility includes over 300 patient rooms that utilise the latest technology to provide a better patient experience. Most rooms are single occupancy and each bed has its own touchscreen TV, with GetWellNetwork, a patient engagement solution, enabled. More than just patient entertainment, GetWellNetwork can facilitate appointment prompts, pre-surgery checklists or education to support the patient post-procedure, and modules can be customised to support a range of strategic imperatives including patient experience, quality and safety as well as operational efficiencies. Westmead CASB is currently utilising GetWellNetwork to offer hospital orientation as well as movies, TV channels and internet access.

Wi-Fi access to enhance the hospital stay

Access to Wi-Fi and the internet has become an essential part of everyday life, in homes, schools and even in hospitals. It allows patients to stay connected with friends and family, access entertainment and manage their everyday lives while they undergo treatment. Supported by Hills Health Solutions, the Westmead CASB Wi-Fi system provides a free and paid service, with the paid option preferred for activities requiring faster download speeds such as gaming and movie streaming. Studies show that access to patient Wi-Fi improves patient social wellbeing, reduces social isolation, improves access to public health information and generally enhances the hospital stay.

Better communications

Cutting-edge Hills IP7500 nurse call technology enables communication between patients and staff throughout the facility. The system is highly customisable with backlit call points, LED indicator lights and an audible beep on activation of nurse call to reassure patients that help is on the way. Utilising a decentralised IP architecture, the nurse call system eliminates the need for a centralised microprocessor or call-point collectors, thus eliminating multiple points of failure that can cause loss of nurse-call function to a large number of beds or across an entire site. At CASB, the nurse call system is integrated with duress, paging and fire notifications and, because it’s Power of Ethernet (PoE), there is no need for a dedicated power supply.

Hospitals are dynamic and fast paced, and latest technology is essential to ensure the best clinical outcomes are delivered. The new CASB has revitalised the Westmead precinct, offering leading-edge technology and an improved patient experience that will support the growing population of western Sydney and beyond with world-class health services for years to come.