To prevent noise pollution caused by too much use of the overhead paging system, Inspira Health Network recently launched its Quiet Hospital Initiative. The goal was to reduce the estimated 150 overhead pages a day, improve patient satisfaction and staff morale, and find a better way for clinicians to communicate and share data in real time.   

Inspira is a three-hospital system based in Bridgeton, N.J., that reaches out to more than 60 healthcare endpoints. It opted to switch to a mobile messaging platform that takes advantage of the smartphone. Inspira's doctors and nurses could text each other securely through an app, or send a message to a colleague's extension that would trigger a callback.

The auditable system not only helped reduce noise and improve communications in the three hospitals, but enabled better communications with the system's 150+ residents and medical offices, according to Inspira officials.

Inspira worked with Practice Unite and Pursuit Healthcare Advisors to set up the communication platform, which is now mandatory for medical staff. Also, overhead pages are only used in emergencies — that averages out to about two pages per day now.

Thomas J. Pacek, Inspira's vice president and CIO, cites other benefits arising from using the new messaging platform. He says response times and patient consults have improved, the electronic medical record is updated more frequently and patient stays are reduced.

In addition, Pacek says staff morale has improved and patient satisfaction rates have risen as well, although it is too early in the Quiet Hospital Initiative to see those conclusions confirmed in statistics.

Health systems are jumping on the "quiet hospitals" concept as a way of introducing secure messaging platforms to staff, Practice Unite's CEO Adam Turinas notes, because reducing noise and confusion in a busy environment appeals to everyone. Tie that in to the ubiquitous smartphone, and it becomes readily adoptable, he adds.

Source: Inspira Health Network
Image credit: Flickr.com

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healthmanagement, mobile app, communication, noise pollution, text messaging, smartphones To prevent noise pollution caused by too much use of the overhead paging system, Inspira Health Network recently launched its Quiet Hospital Initiative. The goal was to reduce the estimated 150 overhead pages a day, improve patient satisfaction and staff