Lately we’ve been seeing a lot of smaller hospitals looking at the options for communications technology because they want to better coordinate care for their patients. It’s no secret that better communications, particularly during critical situations, are essential to improved care and safety. In fact, the Joint Commission continually finds in its annual studies that poor communication is the leading cause of sentinel events. But smaller hospitals have historically had challenges finding technology that fits their bed size.
The good news is that rock-solid healthcare communications technology is very much within reach for smaller hospitals today. This not only includes solutions for automating even small call center operations, but also goes far beyond into delivering important communications from staff or even monitoring systems to nurses and doctors who are always on the move.
Here’s a sampling. Embracing Web-based on-call scheduling and employee directories means everyone can access the latest contact information easily. Sending nurse call and patient monitoring system alerts straight to nurses’ mobile devices means less walk time and faster response. Delivering urgent code call or other notifications to clinicians’ smartphones and tablets (or any other device) means greater efficiency in providing informed patient care.
Think of a case like a heart attack patient or car crash victim coming into a rural or community hospital. Making sure the right staff members are contacted quickly is vital, especially when things happen in the middle of the night and staff are home, perhaps some distance from the hospital. Having an up-to-the-minute on-call calendar, the right contact information, and the ability to message quickly to doctors and nurses (likely on smartphones) all plays a role in providing good care.
As always, I’d love to hear your comments.
The good news is that rock-solid healthcare communications technology is very much within reach for smaller hospitals today. This not only includes solutions for automating even small call center operations, but also goes far beyond into delivering important communications from staff or even monitoring systems to nurses and doctors who are always on the move.
Here’s a sampling. Embracing Web-based on-call scheduling and employee directories means everyone can access the latest contact information easily. Sending nurse call and patient monitoring system alerts straight to nurses’ mobile devices means less walk time and faster response. Delivering urgent code call or other notifications to clinicians’ smartphones and tablets (or any other device) means greater efficiency in providing informed patient care.
Think of a case like a heart attack patient or car crash victim coming into a rural or community hospital. Making sure the right staff members are contacted quickly is vital, especially when things happen in the middle of the night and staff are home, perhaps some distance from the hospital. Having an up-to-the-minute on-call calendar, the right contact information, and the ability to message quickly to doctors and nurses (likely on smartphones) all plays a role in providing good care.
As always, I’d love to hear your comments.
