It’s hard to believe that healthcare organizations once manually filed paperwork and reached each other using analog communication methods. Rapid technological advances continue to change how providers deliver care. However, the infrastructure behind these tools is becoming more complex. Multiple data sources must connect with middleware, which then sends information to many endpoints. As a result, each integration pathway creates its own technical challenge.
It seems like this added technology should be great for the patient, right? Well, not necessarily. When different healthcare technologies don’t interface optimally, it can add more strain for the clinicians, which can in turn negatively affect the patients. So, as healthcare technology gets more and more complex, it’s becoming increasingly important for vendors to work together to facilitate seamless workflows and provide the most value for healthcare organizations.
In theory, this is a simple task, but in practice, it requires significant collaboration from all involved parties to develop a partnership that redefines workflows.
The Alarm Management Trifecta
Mobile Heartbeat is proud to announce its partnership with GE Healthcare and Ascom. After years of development, the companies created an advanced alerting solution that adapts to clinicians’ needs. The solution also improves alarm management through a more intuitive and seamless workflow.
Mobile Heartbeat is the expert in consolidating information and communication options, in one mobile interface. Feel confident while on the move that you will have the full context and be contacted when needed.
GE has decades of experience in patient monitoring and now supports central monitoring units (CMUs). These units improve patient surveillance and expand communication when paired with middleware and clinical communication platforms such as Ascom Unite and Mobile Heartbeat’s MH-CURE.
Customize Alert Sounds to Reduce Fatigue
Clinicians are often busy with their hands and can’t always reach their phone when it sounds off with a new alert. By customizing different alerts with different sounds, clinicians can use the audible context to instantly recognize whether the alert needs to be checked right away. Custom sounds can also be tailored to mimic existing alarm systems, reducing the learning curve.
Beyond customized alert sounds, healthcare organizations have additional control over which alerts sound and which are silent. By silencing non-urgent alerts, organizations can reduce how frequently a user’s device sounds, lessening alarm fatigue.
Empower Clinicians With Added Context
Timestamped alert updates provide much-needed additional information for care team members. When clinicians return from a break or finish with a patient, they can quickly review recent alerts. At a glance, they can see which alerts were addressed, unanswered, or escalated. This context helps them prioritize tasks and involve other care team members immediately.
Additionally, users can view patient waveforms from directly within an alert, to instantly learn more about the patient’s status and better execute the plan of care. When the alert comes in, users can expand to seamlessly launch AirStrip, view the waveform without tapping any additional buttons, then return to the alert screen to coordinate with the care team.
Alert updates and patient context prevent clinicians from responding to alerts that colleagues have already handled. They also reduce the need to ask others for status updates. With real-time information in one place, clinicians can prioritize tasks and act immediately.
Critical Alert Designation for Emergent Situations
Healthcare organizations can use Apple’s Critical Alerts entitlement to override mute and Do Not Disturb settings during emergencies. Like an AMBER Alert, a Critical Alert still notifies users when a shared or personal device is set to Silent or Do Not Disturb.
This capability is designed for critical situations where clinicians need to be mobilized in an instant, regardless of whether they’re on a break, on-call or at home.
Enterprise healthcare organizations face more alerts than clinicians can reasonably manage. They need a flexible, easy-to-use alerting system that sends urgent notifications to the right person at the right time. These capabilities can reduce burnout and fatigue while helping care teams respond more efficiently.
To learn more about how your organization can advance your alert and alarm management, reach out to our Clinical Mobility Team.
