Healthcare Communication Technology: Best Practices

Healthcare Communication Technology: Best Practices

Unidirectional communication is common in hospitals. Not all calls to the PA system or pagers bring the desired assistance. This causes anxiety and can delay patient care. Staff dissatisfaction, complications, or frustration from unnecessary waiting time can all be alleviated by using a proven communication platform that is prompt and responsive.

Consider the following example: A nurse may page a physician who is needed right away. Traditional paging leaves no way for the physician or nurse to verify that they have received the message. A more comprehensive communication platform allows you to track the response, message, and receipt of that attempt at contact. It's a great benefit for the nursing staff, as they can decide whether to send a second page or contact an alternative physician.

With pre-set options and a two-way communication tool , doctors can quickly confirm that they have received the message and then discuss availability. Nurses can be sure that support is on its way.

Choose the Right Technology for Easier Adoption

Frontline nurses are sometimes accused of resisting new tech. However, nurses are constantly improving their ability to meet new patient demands, regulations, and new treatment options. Technology that improves efficiency or adds value will be accepted more easily than technology that interrupts an established workflow. User frustration may result from technology that takes too long to learn or is distracting from providing proper patient care.

In communication technology, flexibility, choice, and convenience facilitate implementation and adoption. Multi-modal technology allows users to communicate via technologies they already use, such as voice, email, page, and fax. Users can access the multi-modal solution from any smartphone or tablet, laptop, desktop or laptop. Also, a communication platform designed specifically for healthcare environments can be easily modified to fit nursing needs.

Communication Technology Can Improve Operations

It is possible to improve hospital operations through healthcare communication technology . Shift management tools are useful for staffing coordinators as well as nursing supervisors. They can ensure that each shift is equipped with the right combination of certifications and skills.

Pre-set messaging, as well as pre-defined cross-disciplinary contacts groups, make it easier for staffing coordinators and nurses to organize the right teams for certain codes. This includes teams for rapid response, transplant, sepsis, or behavioral emergencies. Repetitive elements of healthcare communication can be automated or completed in one touch so nurses can concentrate on the care-related tasks that they have been trained to do.

Modern healthcare facilities are making care coordination increasingly difficult. Patients are often older, take more medications, and have chronic conditions that can't be managed in the hospital. These factors have made it more difficult to discharge patients, receive treatment, and even be admitted into the hospital.

This is especially true in the emergency department (ED). The ED nurses must prioritize patients as well as lab results, transport, and hospital admissions. Using communication tools to exchange information from ED and EMS allows nurses to prepare properly, reducing the rush that is often experienced when trying to properly care for patients. Mobile communication devices can be used by nurses in the ED and other departments to ensure they have enough supplies. A mobile communication device can also be used by nurses when it's time to discharge patients, or if they need to acquire someone for transportation or even housekeeping.

Consistency is key when it comes to communication in healthcare settings. Cloud-based platforms can offer redundancy and security to ensure that communication is always available. With the right platform, you can count on 24/7/365 support to make sure it stays responsive and operational.

This post was sponsored by Mitel , but the opinions are my own and don’t necessarily represent Mitel’s positions or strategies.