Leading the Digitisation of Healthcare to Improve Patient Care , Safety , and Outcomes
How Metro South Health Enables Real-Time Care Team Communication and Improves Clinical Workflows
Cameron Ballantine , CIO at Metro South Health
Designing a Digital Hospital Program
Metro South Health is a major hospital group in Australia leading the digitisation of healthcare in Queensland . As the Chief Information Officer , I lead our Digital Hospital Program across five facilities and implement solutions that will make it an enterprise-wide success . The program was launched approximately seven years ago and is focused on moving away from paper-based processes and toward an integrated digital ecosystem .
The fundamental goals of the Digital Hospital Program are to improve patient care , safety , and outcomes while improving clinical workflows and operational efficiencies within the hospital group . Underpinning this strategy is the principle that information is available to clinicians in as near to real time as possible .
Enabling Clinicians to Communicate in Real Time
Vocera technology plays a critical role in assisting us achieve our digital program objectives . Many of our staff members depend on the Vocera ® Badge , a small , wearable voice-controlled communication device that enables care team members to communicate hands-free . In addition to improving clinical workflows and patient experience , the wireless device is helping safeguard our patients and staff .
One of our physiotherapists was doing a walking exercise with a patient in a stairwell when the patient collapsed . The physiotherapist pressed the call button on the Vocera Badge and made a broadcast to request assistance , which was quickly responded to and support staff arrived in a matter of seconds . If Vocera technology had not been in place , the staff member would have had to either wait with the patient in the hope assistance arrived or leave the patient to find someone .
Our medical & surgical units are very busy , and we have patients at varying levels of acuity supported by complex , multidisciplinary care teams . With the Vocera system , staff members do not need to remember phone numbers or who is available or on call . They can connect with the right person or group with a simple voice command such as “ call a Peri-Op Nurse ” or “ call blue team .” Team members can communicate quickly , share information , or organise a meeting without wasting time looking for each other . This seamless connectivity improves patient care and the care team experience .
Creating an Ideal Healing and Working Environment
After implementing Vocera technology , it was much easier for people to connect with the right person . Our clinicians went into healthcare to care for patients , not to wander the hospital halls looking for help . Inefficient processes and breakdowns in communication can take clinicians away from the patient bedside . Because of the Vocera solution our staff have fewer interruptions and can focus on what matters most : the patient and providing high-quality compassionate care .
The additional time our clinicians can spend with patients has resulted in improvements to patient experience , care , and safety . Vocera technology has enabled a quieter environment ; we no longer have loud overhead paging . The technology has fantastic voice recognition and can distill the voice of the person speaking from any surrounding noise . Staff have naturally gravitated to speaking normally into the device rather than projecting their voices to their colleagues .
Many patients have told us that the quietness has contributed to creating a more peaceful , healing environment . A senior clinical employee of ours was recently admitted to a very busy clinical unit and shared her positive healthcare experience at Metro South Health in a social media post . She said , “ I significantly noticed how quiet it was while I was lying there both pre-and post-surgery .”
Because of patient feedback like this and sound data indicating improvements in clinical workflows , we ’ ve expanded the use of Vocera technology throughout Metro South Health . We are looking for new ways to apply it as we continue to digitise our service to improve the overall healthcare experience .