 “Beam my voice
up, Scotty” . . . Hands-free, wireless communication comes to the bedside
at St. Agnes
The new wireless communication system now in the pilot stage
at St. Agnes HealthCare in Baltimore does have a Star Trek quality about it:
While not quite as sophisticated as the futuristic technology behind
“Beam me up, Scotty,” the system does allow a staff member’s
voice to be beamed instantly anywhere in the hospital just by talking to it.
“It is a badge that can either be clipped to a shirt
pocket or worn as a pendant around the neck. By pressing a button on the badge,
a nurse can continue to work at the bedside and simply ask the system to call a
person by giving a name, title, or function. If the person is on campus,
communication is immediate. (The system is supported by the wireless
infrastructure St. Agnes put in place to enable this and other forms of
wireless communications.)
The technology application’s full name is Vocera
Communications System. The California-based company that makes it was founded
just three years ago.
Nurses are the staff members most excited about the
system’s potential, says John Welby, the hospital’s marketing and
public relations manager. The hands-free system makes delivering patient care
more efficient than having to wait for an answer from a paged physician or
using the overhead speaker to ask another department to call the nursing
station. “This wireless communication marks a significant advance in how
we care for our patients,” notes Kathi Diver, nurse manager of the pilot
medical–surgical unit. “We can attend to patients more quickly and
with fewer interruptions. And, because it allows nurses to spend more time at
the bedside, it has the potential to improve both quality of care and patient
satisfaction.” The system also lowers the frustration level of nurses who
previously had to spend time tracking down staff when they had a
patient-related question, she concludes.
Contact:
John Welby
Marketing and Public
Relations Manager
St. Agnes HealthCare
Phone: 410-368-2144
E-mail:
JWELBY@STAGNES.ORG
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