By Healthcare Facilities Today

High-tech hospital room monitors more than entertainment at some Florida hospitals, according to an article in the Sun Sentinel. New flat-screen terminals mounted allow patients to access the Internet, order meals, communicate with staff and view their latest X-rays.

Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood and the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center in Miami are among the few medical facilities in Florida currently with this technology. But six veterans hospitals will get the technology upgrades in the next year, according to GetWellNetwork Inc., the Maryland technology company handling the project. 

According to the article, educational videos on managing medical conditions, prescription orders and medical records all can be flashed on the same screen where patients view dozens of television channels and just-released movies.

Hospital technology experts predict interactive systems, which have been around for more than a decade, will soon be the norm because they make patients - and hospital bottom lines - happier. 

Read the article.