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Vocera
Vocera for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
Hospitals and Healthcare institutions are facing a huge nursing staff shortage that is leading to an increased number of catastrophic events. Healthcare administrators are consequently under pressure to reduce the burden on available staff by improving system and procedural efficiencies. One area that accounts for significant inefficiencies is communications between nursing staff, support staff and patients. According to an article in The Journal of Nursing Administration, “medical staff loses almost 900 hours a year due to paging delays, another 700 hours annually is lost to waiting on hold and more than 500 hours per year answering calls, then tracking people down.”
Photo of the Unit on a Health Attendant
The Vocera Communications System
Vocera Communications® has the ideal solution for communications in healthcare environments. The Vocera Communication System consists of two key components: the Vocera System Software, which controls and manages call activity, and the Vocera Communications Badge, a lightweight, wearable, voice-controlled communications device that operates over a wireless LAN (802.11b).Using voice prompts, Vocera instantly connects users to the people they need, thereby reducing phone tag, overhead paging, or the need to physically search for a person. Additionally, optional Vocera Telephony Solution Software enables users to make and receive internal or external phone calls directly from their badge through the PBX. Because Vocera uses the ISM (Industrial Scientific Medical) Wireless Band, it doesn’t affect any other electronic equipment used in hospitals.
Product Features
Vocera’s system enables hands free communication, from one-to-one and one-to-many (group). Groups can be defined by function (e.g. All Floor Nurses) or by specialization (e.g. housekeeping - particularly useful for nurses and other workers who are typically required to multi-task.) A Nurse Call Integration Module can also be added to the Vocera system to allow patient requests to be communicated directly to the nurse on duty, and depending on the features built into the Patient Call system, even allows the nurse to communicate to the patient through the bedside speaker system.Security
The Vocera system does not record or store conversations between users. Once a call is connected, voice communications over the system are as secure as on traditional phone networks.Benefits
Vocera’s Communication System delivers real benefits: in a study conducted at St. Agnes Hospital, a 299 bed facility serving the Baltimore/Washington DC area, using Vocera reduced the time taken for communications between unit secretary to nurse by 81%, between unit secretary to internal staff by 84%, between nurse tech to internal staff by 83%, between nurse tech and external departments by 87%, between nurse and internal staff by 84%, and between nurse and external departments by 82%.Overhead paging reduced by 84%, and workflow improvements were noticeable. Overall, a majority of Vocera users agreed that patient care improved and time savings averaged 30 minutes per nurse per shift.
A Partner You Can Count On
The Vocera Communications System is brought to you by DataScan Technologies Inc, a company with a 16-year track record of delivering wireless, mobile and bar code based end-to-end business solutions. DataScan is a (Vocera) value added partner, and brings you complete solutions from site surveys and network design, to network and system deployment, ongoing 24/7 technical support and maintenance. DataScan is your one stop shop for all your Vocera system needs.Partnering with Connecting-America provides confidence in the success of your project.
