Kayal Orthopaedic Goes Digital, Creates New Standard in Patient Care

Integration firm ProTek and Crestron DigitalMedia enable collaborative approach to medical care and treatment at Kayal Orthopaedic Center.

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Patient care has dramatically changed in the last few decades. Before the turn of the century, it could take days or even weeks for a patient to receive test results from the lab, and even then complete access to records was a rare occurrence.

Today, thanks to the digitalization of x-rays and other test and treatments, mere moments after a technician administers a test, a doctor can bring up the scan on a digital screen, zooming in and even rotating the image, and discuss results with patients in a clear, in-depth way.

The improved technology helps patients feel involved and informed at all points in the process. It is a collaborative approach to medical care that increases patient understanding and confidence at every step along the way.

“The patient’s first impression of a doctor’s office is very meaningful,” says Dr. Robert A. Kayal, MD., orthopedic surgeon. “When patients first come to Kayal Orthopaedic Center, I want them to appreciate a different standard, a different level of medical care that they’ve ever seen before.”

Kayal Orthopaedic Center specializes in orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, joint replacement surgery, hip arthroscopy, foot and ankle reconstruction and spinal disorders. After much success in his original office in Franklin Lakes, N.J., Kayal decided to open a second location in Glen Rock, N.J.

See photos of the new orthopedic center.

Kayal wanted his second office to be as technologically up-to-date as his first. The team needed to distribute and control AV content throughout the facility from a touchscreen, iPad and iPhone.

Integration firm ProTek Security & Audio Visual Design of Franklin Lakes, N.J., did a fabulous job outfitting the original office with AV and control, says Kayal, so naturally they were the first pick when Kayal opened his second location.

In addition, Crestron technology was (and still is today) a staple in the Franklin Lakes office, as well as in the doctor’s home, so Kayal wanted ProTek to work with Crestron to equip the new center with state-of-the-art technology.

Calming Patient Nerves

“When you are coming to a practice, you want to make sure your physician is up to date on the latest technology,” says Cristina Peck, a patient at the center. “When you walk into Dr. Kayal’s office, it’s apparent. He’s mastered the high-tech without losing the family feel.”

The new Kayal Orthopaedic Center has two television screens in the waiting room. One plays cable for visitors while they wait, and the other doubles as a digital signage screen, sharing information about the practice as well as new medical studies and statistics.

PepperDash, a provider of control programming software and services, programmed the system for the entire building.

The digital signage display is powered by the MacBook in Kayal’s office. Behind the screen is a Crestron DM-TX-201-C transmitter, providing a remote input connection for HDMI and RGB sources as part of a complete Crestron DigitalMedia system.

The video content continues in the exam rooms, which Kayal says reduces anxiety and keeps patients comfortable in anticipation of their meetings with the doctor.

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Upon sitting down at the exam room’s computer, Kayal can select ‘Doctor is In’ and the video content switches to mirror the doctor’s computer so the patient can view x-rays, records, lab results and other medical information. The audio switches to low volume music.

“When the doctor hits that button, it means it’s time to get focused and serious about [the patient’s] care,” says Kayal.

When the doctor leaves the room, he tells the system ‘Doctor is Out’ and the display reverts back to the waiting room content.

“The elaborate video switching solution enables the doctors to take content from cell phones, tablets and other media, all with different resolutions, and distribute them to any display in the facility,” says Brian Stride, operations director at ProTek. “The video switching and scaling, with all the variables we needed to overcome, was only possible with DigitalMedia.”

Tech in Every Space

While the waiting room and eight exam rooms were decked out with digital signage displays and cable television, the rest of the office was not overlooked.

Kayal’s office features two displays which can be used to watch TV or review patent data, switchable from one to the other similar to the exam room displays.

A Crestron 10-inch TSW-1050 touchscreen was also installed on the office desk to give Kayal control of all AV and lighting in his office and throughout the facility.

Crestron’s XPanel software was used to turn the reception desk computer into a Crestron touchscreen, allowing the receptionist to control the video content, volume and lighting in the waiting room.

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Programming for XPanel is the same as for a Crestron touch screen, smartphone, or tablet, so the reception computer is equipped with the same user interface as the other devices in the system, contributing to ease of use throughout the facility.

In addition, audio is distributed throughout the waiting room, x-ray room, eight exam rooms, clinical room, provider room, break room, restrooms, billing office, Kayal’s office and all hallways.

“We are driven by technology as is exemplified by the technologies in the practice,” says Kayal. “It’s mandatory for a physician to succeed in this marketplace to be cutting-edge in his or her field. I think this Crestron automated system and the technologies that are available in the audio/visual world very nicely go hand-in-hand with the technologies we are pioneering in the field of orthopedic surgery.”

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