The Beep Goes On

Most of my blog posts over the past few months, including this one, are focused on smartphones. Clinical smartphone communication is such a widely talked-about, read-about and thought-about topic because it is completely re-defining the beep and call-back procedure and offering providers a way to fundamentally change their workflows. On a smartphone, the alert message lets a provider know if a situation is critical, or if it can wait until their current task is completed. Smartphones offer the ability to respond immediately with an acknowledgment, a reply, or even a call to discuss information. And, the entire exchange can be tracked, providing a full audit trail.

So why isn’t everyone adopting smartphone usage at their facility? A recent article in The Globe and Mail discusses some of the implementation challenges and looks at how several hospitals are approaching these topics.

If you are curious to read more about what other facilities are up to, Amcom conducted a survey of more than 300 hospitals in June 2012 to find out how they are approaching mobility strategies. You’ll find the outcomes in both white paper and webinar formats.

I would love to hear from you, too. Is your facility piloting or implementing a smartphone program? Who gets to use them – providers only, or other staff such as nurses, transport teams, and housekeeping? What challenges are you facing and how are you overcoming them?