For the first time in Canada, the same STERIS RealView technology that has been giving families peace of mind on surgery-day is now keeping loved-ones informed during childbirth at Humber River Hospital.

With STERIS, loved ones eagerly awaiting baby news in the Labour & Delivery Family Lounge now receive rolling updates on the television screen. “It’s very reassuring to know where your loved one is,” says Paula Reynolds, the Resource Nurse in Labour & Delivery.

Humber’s family-centered approach to care means that in many cases family are encouraged to be present during birth. Sometimes people will wait in the Labour & Delivery Family Lounge if there are too many people or if the parents would like more privacy.

With STERIS, loved ones eagerly awaiting baby news in the Labour & Delivery Family Lounge now receive rolling updates on the television screen. Patient names have been swapped out for unique IDs, and updates are immediate so visitors are always informed.

“It’s very reassuring to know where your loved one is,” says Paula Reynolds, the Resource Nurse in Labour & Delivery. “STERIS has the potential to be very useful to the unit, especially with more people choosing to deliver at Humber River Hospital.”

Plans can also change quickly during childbirth and when the care team is acting quickly, family can still be informed through the STERIS screen. If someone is in labour and they are moved to the Operating Room for a C-Section, family in the waiting room will receive that update. When the baby is born and they are ready for visitors, the screen will communicate that as well.

Eventually, as with STERIS in the Surgery Program, family members will be able to opt in to receiving text updates directly to their phones, so family members can leave the waiting room for a meal or a coffee without having to worry that they will miss any updates.

The technology has also been useful to members of the healthcare team like Paula, who appreciates the instantaneous, full-picture view while she’s coordinating Labour & Delivery Care for multiple patients. Her screen shows more detailed patient information. There are also plans to have STERIS’ birthing information available on the Command Centre’s perinatal tile.

“If we have seven patients in triage, I’ll know right away and can support the team there,” says Paula. “We have a large unit, so it is great to have status-updates at my fingertips.”