HCA Healthcare has expanded its AI-powered Nurse Handoff tool to 15 additional hospitals in Florida, aiming to support nurses by organizing patient information from electronic health records into a structured shift report.

HCA Healthcare, headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., expanded its AI-powered Nurse Handoff tool to 15 more Florida hospitals in September.

According to a Sept. 25 news release, the tool organizes information from a patient's electronic health record (EHR) into a shift report for the incoming nurse. Nurses can review clinical notes, orders, test results and other relevant patient information on a hospital-provided mobile device.

HCA emphasized that nurses remain responsible for the handoff process and for making clinical decisions.

Nurses Helped Develop the Tool

Frontline nurses at HCA Florida UCF Lake Nona Hospital in Orlando played a role in developing and piloting Nurse Handoff in collaboration with Google Cloud.

Nurses involved in the project helped determine which patient information should be presented by the tool and how the technology could be incorporated into existing nursing workflows.

HCA said nurses participating in early testing rated the tool as factual and helpful. However, the company did not provide data showing whether the technology has reduced handoff time or improved patient outcomes.

Previously Tested at Eight Hospitals

HCA had previously reported that Nurse Handoff was being tested in beta at eight hospitals in July.

The expansion to 15 additional Florida hospitals represents a broader deployment of the technology across HCA's hospital network.

The tool is designed to support, rather than replace, nurses during shift changes by bringing key clinical information together in a format that can be reviewed before or during the handoff.

HCA's approach also keeps clinical responsibility with nurses, who remain accountable for reviewing patient information, conducting the handoff and making decisions about patient care.

Kaynak: Becker's Hospital Review