Vocera Communications System

In recognition of the need for better and more direct communications between health professionals, Vocera Communications has developed a wearable instant communications badge system using an 802.11b (WiFi) wireless local area network (WLAN) to support instant mobile voice communications and messaging.

Situation

In building communication between staff members is slow, disruptive and antiquated. At times when communication is most critical staff members must play phone tag with the necessary resources, such as of site doctors, lab technicians or emergency personnel.

Solution

In recognition of the need for better and more direct communications between health professionals, Vocera Communications has developed a wearable instant communications badge system using an 802.11b (WiFi) wireless local area network (WLAN) to support instant mobile voice communications and messaging. The system allows users to instantly speak to the person or resource they need. The system has been implemented in a number of acute care delivery facilities and is proving to reduce run-around time associated with legacy communications system. Additionally it is decreasing noise disruptions in the wards by reducing the need to use overhead pagers. This leads to an improvement in the overall environment for both staff and patients.

The Vocera Communication System consists of two key components, the Vocera Server Software, residing on a customer premise server, and the Vocera Communications Badge, that users can wear on a lanyard or clipped to a shirt.

With a touch of one button and natural voice commands, the Vocera Communications System instantly connects people to other people or to entire groups, so they can make decisions and act quickly anytime in a building or campus environment with an installed wireless network.

Everyday processes, such IV bag replacement authorization, can now be address immediately. At one installation this process use to take up to 15 minutes of the nurse time paging and waiting for a doctor to call back with authorization. Now the nurse can simply press the call button on the Vocera badge and speak instantly to the doctor.

Better Health & Lower Costs

Vocera has recently completed a time and motion study that demonstrates how by providing instant contact with resources nurses are saving between 15 and 45 minutes per day not having to search for the person they need to assist them.