WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
Communication systems are like the heart that pumps the lifeblood of information in healthcare. They are that important, yet traditionally such systems have not been a prioritised investment. Today, however, more and more hospitals are embracing wireless communications as a means of coping with modern healthcare demands, while providing a platform to build on for the future, explains Kirsty Duncan of Ascom.
H
ospitals are getting larger, some- times including multiple sites, and
comprise staff who must roam between them. With the drive to optimise work- flows, reduce costs and make the very most out of limited resources, hospitals are dis- covering that utilising the full potential of wireless communication is a highly ef- fective and cost-efficient way forward. Its importance in healthcare is expected to intensify over the next decade. Simply put, the speed and ease of wireless communica- tions is something that hospitals increas- ingly cannot do without.
Only a few years ago, most healthcare fa- cility executives would not even consider wireless applications, worried that the wireless systems at the time would inter- fere with traditional hospital wireless sys- tems, such as telemetry. Today, this con- cern has been alleviated as the two systems have become more integrated and usually work in perfect harmony.
Linking two hospitals with integrated communication
A perfect example is the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust. Formed in 1999 following the merger of acute hospital services in the region, the trust today has 518 inpatient beds, cares for more than 260,000 patients each year, and employs around 3,500 people. According to Andrew Green, facilities manager for the trust, the primary goal was to ensure seamless links between the two hospitals, located eight miles apart. Both sites had been using a so- lution based on a paging system for about 20 years; the time had come to move the trust’s communications forward.
After considering proposals from other providers, the trust decided on Ascom’s solution. It consists of Ascom i75 Protector phones across the two hospitals, integrat- ing with the fire systems and some secu- rity systems on both sites. Lone workers are protected by the Ascom DURAalarm package. The messaging platform is Net- page, networked across both sites, giving a wide variety of users the ability to send messages and thereby help relieve switch- board operators. A full software update is
78 | national health executive Nov/Dec 11
when it comes to cardiac arrest and emer- gency response. We have significantly re- duced time to response, and this of course means better patient care. The switchboard also receives instant confirmation that im- portant calls have been received by the rel- evant handsets for crash calls, etc.”
A solution to build on
planned in the next few weeks to enable the trust to move to Ascom’s new i62 (b/g, n, a) phones for even more integration and functionality.
Faster speed to service
“Before, staff had to carry around sev- eral different devices for different needs,” explains Green. “Now, with the Ascom i75 and i62, one phone does everything, streamlining what staff have to carry or al- ways have nearby.”
For the trust, wireless communications has brought about a remarkable and important improvement in their workflows, as well as linking the two hospitals to help ensure that the right people or expertise can be ac- cessed when and where needed.
“It’s really all about making best use of resources,” says Green. “Freeing up the switchboard, for example. Yet the benefits of the solution are perhaps most apparent
The trust has been growing dramatically in recent years to keep up with the healthcare needs of this expanding region. Many staff work from two hospital sites and the value of being able to make contact with them ir- respective of the site they are on cannot be underestimated.
“We also send instant messaging from our help desk system direct to the por- tering team’s Ascom phones without any manual intervention for standard requests that users may log,” says Green. “Our As- com phones help bring it all together. This means that our need for integrated WiFi communication will continue to grow. Our wireless solution is helping us meet today’s demands, but it is also a solution to build on, helping us prepare for the healthcare requirements of the future.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Kirsty Duncan, Ascom (UK) Ltd T: 0121 353 6151
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