Gastroenterologists in Brisbane have boosted their endoscopy capacity by 40% with new “blue rooms” that combine the latest imaging technology with a colour scheme that improves productivity.

The new rooms at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Gastroenterology Department have been designed to allow endoscopy to be done more efficiently using video monitors, says director Dr Mark Appleyard.

They feature blue lights and wall panels to improve visual perception during surgical procedures, especially on video monitors.

“The idea behind the blue rooms is that the blue colour allows us to see the brightness of the screen much more crisply, so we get better images of when we are looking inside people’s abdomens when we’re doing endoscopy, he says.

“The other thing we find with the blue light is that it is much more restful for our eyes. We’re constantly being distracted by other things, so we get less fatigue and are able to concentrate for longer cases.”

“And obviously it looks cool too,” he adds.

By making endoscopy easier, the blue rooms have increased departmental activity by 40% – which translates into an additional 2,500 endoscopy procedures per year, says Dr Appleyard.

“The fact that we have more capacity allows us to do more complex cases, and ultimately this will mean better access for regional and remote areas of Australia,” he says.

Another feature of the blue rooms is that they are fully video integrated, with cameras in the ceilings and lights, which allows images to be captured and transmitted of both the doctors and the procedures they are performing.

“We’re able to transmit these images anywhere on campus throughout the state or even internationally, so the opportunities for training and teaching are immense,” says Dr Appleyard.

The first room went live in July 2017 and the second was completed after 10 months of construction in late September.