In 2026, sterility and good lighting aren’t enough. The modern operating room is becoming a digital command center, where data flow and automation are key. Does your familiar operating theater “talk” to the hospital’s HIS system, or does it generate paper documentation?
Here are 5 features of a modern operating room:
- Centralized control: “One screen to control everything”
- No more nurses having to move around the room to dim the lights or change camera parameters. A modern integration system is a single touchscreen panel that connects devices from different manufacturers.
- This system (certified as a Class I/Class IIB medical device) allows you to control from a single location:
- Medical equipment: operating tables, cameras in lamps, diathermy units (via Ethernet, Bluetooth, RS232/485), and connection to the image interfaces of surgical robots and laparoscopes.
- Technical systems of the facility: doors, blinds, door transparency, air conditioning, and ceiling lighting.
2. Patient Safety: Digitalization of WHO Procedures
A paper checklist is not the 21st century. The Electronic Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC), compliant with WHO guidelines, is built into the integration system:
- enforces the verification of 19 key safety points before, during, and after the procedure.
- Only after the procedure is “clicked” and the physician digitally signed does the system allow the next step.
- Ensures automatic archiving of this document in the HIS.
- Medical records are created “on their own” (EDM Automation)
Perhaps the biggest pain point for staff? “Paperwork.” The integrated operating room automates this process thanks to full bidirectional data exchange with the HIS (HL7/DICOM standards).
The Electronic Anesthesia Record (EAR) automatically retrieves data from devices such as cardiac monitors, creating real-time graphs of vital signs. This allows the anesthesiologist to focus on the patient, rather than manually completing charts.
Additionally, the integration system generates a final report. After the procedure, the system combines the surgeon’s and anesthesiologist’s reports into a single PDF document, attaching photos and video of the procedure as needed, and then sending the entire report to the patient’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR). The process is complemented by an electronic signature, which allows for document authorization directly on a tablet or touchscreen in the operating room.
- Telemedicine and Education: A Room Without Walls (Telestration)
In 2026, consultations with experts from the other side of the world should take place “here and now.” A remote consultant (e.g., a professor from another center) sees the image from the surgical camera and can draw on the surgeon’s screen (telestration function) – marking, for example, the incision line or a vessel to be bypassed.
High-quality, delay-free image transmission (Low Latency) also allows for the safe conduct of student training sessions without the need to admit the group into the operating room.
- Hygiene: Intelligent Decontamination
Every modern operating room maintains cleanliness, and the automated decontamination system, scheduled within the system, simplifies the entire process. After the procedure is completed, the system generates an automatic report confirming the room’s sterility. This information is crucial for the hospital’s legal protection in the event of a hospital-acquired infection.
Summary
The implementation of integrated operating room management systems is becoming a standard, significantly impacting staff efficiency, patient safety, and the transparency of medical records. In 2026, this technology is no longer just an add-on or a whim.