Calling system for outpatients

AIM

This project would therefore introduce a calling system based on buzzers for the patients, allowing them to go to the endoscopy rooms themselves when the rooms were ready. The buzzers could both flash lights and vibrate, but also receive messages sent from the nurse’s smartphone. The ward could thus allow the patient to spend the waiting time outside. The nurses could call the patients back with a message with such text as “it will be your turn in approx. 10 min, so please come back to the section now” or “please follow the yellow arrows to room 5” if the patient was nearby.

The nurses sent the message via a smartphone and did not have to sign in to a computer or move to a call central to call the patients. This provided greater flexibility and better utilisation of resources.

For the patients, the buzzers provided more flexibility in connection with the visit to the hospital, just as is known from, for example, fast food restaurants, where buzzers signal that the food is ready for pick-up. The same principle applied here.

RESULTS

The calling system is in operation in the endoscopy section today.

It was the interviewees’ experience that the buzzers provided both more time and fewer steps, and thus worked as intended. In general, the technology was so simple to use that it had been easy for staff to use regardless of their individual level of computer skill.

However, there was some uncertainty about the buzzers’ reach, and therefore patients did not move as far away from the ward during the waiting period as was initially hoped they would be able to.

PARTNERS

Partners on the project included Clinical IT and the Department of Gastroenterology at Odense University Hospital.

EXTERNAL FUNDING

The new calling system was funded by strategic funds allocated to the project Digital Vision.

The new calling system was a project under Digital Vision, which sought to implement IT systems and innovation solutions in one specific clinical department at Odense University Hospital in order to reap the benefits of rapid digitisation. Read more about sub-projects under Digital Vision.