OrbitaASSIST is a new virtual health assistant for patient communication at the bedside

Using a smart speaker configured with OrbitaASSIST, the patient can say things like 'tell the nurse I need a pillow,' or 'tell the nurse I've fallen.'

OrbitaASSIST

Provider of healthcare’s conversational AI platform Orbita launched a new product called OrbitaASSIST, which is a voice-enabled, AI-driven bedside virtual health assistant — offering an alternative or adjunct to traditional nurse call systems.

Using a smart speaker configured with OrbitaASSIST, the patient can say things like “tell the nurse I need a pillow,” or “tell the nurse I’ve fallen.” Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning operate on the backend to triage, prioritize, and intelligently route requests to appropriate care team members who view requests on mobile, tablet, or desktop devices. The patient hears a natural language response such as “someone will bring you a pillow soon,” or “we’ve raised an alarm with the nurse.”

“This solution was designed to solve a very real challenge for in-facility care settings where patients struggle to communicate their needs with busy care staff,” Nick White, Orbita’s Executive Vice President of Patient Care Solutions, said in a statement. “By giving the patient a ‘voice’ through conversational AI, the specific information in a request can be processed, prioritized, and routed to the right care team member in the right place at the right time.”

According to White, in the solution’s first 18 months of pilot operation including use at Sydney, Australia-based Prince of Wales Hospital, more than 8,000 patient requests were made. “Research shows the value of OrbitaASSIST in facilitating early identification of critical care needs and dramatically reducing the median time of response to calls for help — by as much as 70%,” he said. “The earliest adopters of this advanced bedside communication solution also saw a reduction in falls and other hospital acquired complications.”

High satisfaction scores came from surveyed users of the solution, where 87% of nurses reported feeling more confident in their ability to appropriately respond to patient requests and 100% of patients surveyed wanting it available if hospitalized again.

Using the hands-free, self-service approach of OrbitaASSIST, patients can receive immediate responses to requests, confirm next steps, access educational information, get answers to FAQs, and more. Clinicians can practice more fully at their top of license as AI-powered virtual assistance helps prioritize requests and facilitate aligned responses by various members of the caregiving team.

Orbita is now working with hospital providers as well as senior living and community-based care organizations in North America and Europe to provide the technology to patients and nurses.