Streamlining Communication in Emergency Departments with Vital

Communication is critical in emergency healthcare situations, and there have been several studies conducted to measure the impact of communication on clinical outcomes. Communication and environment directly impact the patient experience. Researchers have studied optimal decibel levels in the Emergency Departments (ED) to improve communication. They have also researched proactive ways for clinicians to transfer information, eliminate overhead paging, and reduce noise across the board. 

These efforts to improve communication for Emergency Departments have focused on optimizing communication for clinical staff teams. 

For example, at Hardin Memorial in Kentucky, clinicians wear small wireless devices--Vocera Badgea--around their necks which allows for hands-free voice communication from anywhere in the department. This improves communication, reduces confusion, and cuts down on process time. 

While wearing a wireless device may help with communication between clinicians, it does not address the need for patients to have timely, concise and accurate information about their stay at the ED. Visiting the Emergency Room is often stressful and full of uncertainty. Patients wonder about wait times, steps to take, and the admission process. Unfortunately, many patients wait for extended periods of time with no clear direction.

Vital believes that patients should know how long they are going to wait, what steps they need to take, and what Labs and Tests are pending. Not only should the patient know their status, but they should be able to share their status with loved ones. This is why we created ERAdvisor, a software that allows patients to view their ED stay in a different way. ERAdvisor allows patients and loved ones to track their ED stay on their smartphones

With patients having access to real-time information on their phones, clinical staff can focus on providing care instead of answering questions from their patients. We believe that clear communication with patients directly impacts clinical communication. With ERAdvisor, communication between patients and clinicians just got easier. 

Want to learn more? Check out our ERAdvisor Self-Demo or Download Our Case Study.