Not only can these new hospital beds talk, they speak 13 languages. The beds have the brains of a computer and can communicate 30 programmed questions and commands that help care for patients who don’t speak the native tongue. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
I usually try to find the positives in all situations, but I’m having a hard time with this one. 8.3 million dollars for 100 talking hospital beds? As a nurse, I could think of so many better ways to spend that money in a hospital setting. I’m sorry, but a bed that is going to ask a patient if they are experiencing pain will never take the place of a professional asking the same question and having the knowledge to act on the patients response. If there’s a language barrier between the patient and staff it would be a lot cheaper to hire an interpreter or a have a nursing assistant do one-on-one care to interpret, and a lot more personal. Now, the high tech IV pumps make sense!
Just my 2 cents.
Adrianne