While there are a myriad of systems out there in the marketplace today that are addressing this…the reality is you need a communications methodology and device that actually works!

Consumer devices (smart phones), were not designed for the enterprise environment. Folks out there fail to forget that the radio and the algorithms were designed for hotspot environments; not the high mobility requirements demanded in healthcare. Put in a low cost WLAN radio…and well. That is why they have “dropped connections” via WLAN voice over IP calls. Finally, WLAN radios are power hogs, so does that consumer device use PSP modes to conserve power?…think not. So, asking a clinician to charge the “smart phone” once a day or maybe even during a shift…just another thing that get’s in the way of patient care.

Next, you have to consider the context of how you are going to actually use the device. For a nurse to pull this out of his/her pocket, then scroll down to something…probably is not the best use model. Cannot see the rationale of trying to access the EMR on a tiny, tiny screen. Finally, devices like this will be dropped, run over, etc. It has to be bullet proof and yes waterproof. (think of the term IP56…) Been in the clinical environment for many years…stuff get’s destroyed.

So hat’s off to ASCOM to actually making an device that solves and addresses the use model. To a care giver, it looks like a combination of legacy paging/notification being brought into 2014…while at the same time being able look and feel of an intelligent communication device.

This is truly demonstrating…versus talking….”workflow improvements”!

http://www.ascommyco.com/en/