Innovation isn’t about jumping on every new technology trend. It’s about making deliberate decisions and developing smart strategies that will measurably improve patient care.
Those efforts touch all areas of care to improve the entire patient experience. Some examples of our patient care innovations:
At their best, our digital devices have the power to make life easier. Patients want portability, convenience and ease of access. From scheduling appointments online to remotely monitoring health data after going home from surgery, we use the latest digital technologies to empower patients to take control of their health care.
UCLA Connected Health services link patients and providers through the phone or computer, allowing patients — and other physicians — to consult with UCLA specialists from anywhere using:
We’ve implemented a comprehensive electronic health record system that allows patients to make appointments, message with clinicians and view lab results with ease. Having inpatient and outpatient records integrated across the health system makes it easier for providers to see the big picture. Our innovators, too, can look for patterns within those records to identify health care needs among our patient population — and find new solutions.
In 2018, UCLA Health adopted changes to the electronic record system to support LGBTQ patients. The changes allow patients to note preferred names and pronouns so that clinicians can deliver more equitable care. It’s just one of many ways we put our patients’ needs first.
There’s no shortage of available health apps, but it can be hard to know which tools are valid and effective. Our trusted UCLA Health Apps help patients connect with their care teams, better manage care plans, engage in healthy physical activity and more.
UCLA has invested in a major precision health initiative that will put us at the forefront of personalized medicine. Precision health is about customizing medical care based on each patient’s biology, lifestyle and environment. This approach helps doctors identify the treatments likely to work best for an individual patient — with the fewest side effects.
At UCLA, the Institute for Precision Health is leading the charge to personalize health care. To do so, it draws on experts from many fields, including genetics, public health, information science and engineering. We’ve designed our precision health initiative to be coordinated throughout the entire health system.
We have also created a Department of Computational Medicine , a joint department of the schools of engineering and medicine. This forward-looking department will develop tools to better analyze the vast amounts of data we collect — all with the goal of creating more tailored treatments for our patients.
One example of our work at the Institute for Precision Health is the AtLAs California Health Initiative, which will collect genetic samples from tens of thousands of UCLA patients. The “biobank” will be a valuable resource for researchers. As the project collects information from more patients, researchers will be able to identify patterns to improve disease diagnosis and treatment. If you’d like to participate, ask your UCLA Health provider.
UCLA Health offers some of the most technologically advanced hospitals in the world. Our inpatient, examination and operating rooms are equipped with leading-edge tools to improve diagnosis and treatment.
Our surgeons continually adopt new, specialized tools and techniques to deliver the best possible care. The Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology (CASIT) provides surgeons and students opportunities to practice operations virtually, using advanced surgical simulators.
Those specialized techniques include less-invasive procedures that require smaller incisions, and progressive new postoperative protocols that improve recovery. Our tools include the daVinci™ Surgical System robot, which allows surgeons to operate with extreme precision through very small incisions.
Thanks to robotic telemedicine, specialists consult with patients and health care providers any time, from any location. UCLA Medical Center’s neurosurgeons use robotic telemedicine to continually monitor critically ill patients, even when doctors can’t be at the patient’s bedside.
UCLA Health was the third institution in the world to offer the ViewRay™, an image-guided radiation therapy machine. The system combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiation therapy, allowing clinicians to target radiation more precisely and refine the radiation dose as they go. It’s just one example of how new technology can minimize side effects and improve treatment outcomes for our patients.
The UCLA Center for Systematic, Measurable, Actionable, Resilient and Technology-Driven (SMART) Health brings together researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Innovators at the Center for SMART Health work together to incorporate knowledge and tools from multiple fields of research. Together, these expert innovators are seeking new technological solutions to improve the future of health care.
Recent advances in immunotherapy are transforming cancer treatment. These therapies stimulate a person’s own immune system to fight cancer.
UCLA researchers have played key roles in creating and testing life-saving immunotherapy treatments. Among them are CAR T-cell therapies, which have recently been approved to treat blood cancers. UCLA is one of the few centers in the nation to offer all FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapies, making us a top destination for patients receiving immunotherapy.
UCLA is actively engaged in research and clinical trials to find new and better ways to treat for cancer and other disorders. By offering our patients the opportunity to participate in these trials, we can provide access to leading-edge care such as immunotherapy and gene therapy. Learn more about cancer clinical trials at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and other clinical trials at UCLA. Learn more about clinical trials at UCLA Health >
And that’s just for starters. Read about our latest innovations, or contact us to learn more.
