Medical Construction & Design

JUL-AUG 2017

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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44 Medical Construction & Design | J U LY/AUGUST 2017 | MCDM AG.COM T oday's nurse call systems are no longer simply an intercom for patients to contact the nurses' station. Modern nurse call systems are now an integrated part of the ever- evolving patient care solutions that interface with patient electronic medical records and provide real-time patient status to improve patient safety. Safety improvements such as "out-of-bed" alerts help prevent slip and fall incidents that sometimes are cause for extending a patient's stay. Solutions today provide real-time connectivity between the patient and their nurse. No longer must a patient call to the nurses' station and wait for the message to get to their care provider. The system extends well beyond wired connections and reaches the nurse on either a wireless handset or directly to their smartphone where they can view onscreen information. The system interfaces directly to staff and a patient locator allows for real-time monitoring of the patient experience. Real-time care The door to the patient's room no longer needs to be covered with instructions on patient access, medication, meals, visiting restrictions and containment protections. Current nurse call systems have all those fl ags right on the patient pop-up profi le that is displayed both in the call/called status and, even more importantly, while the patient status is being monitored. Now that split-screen technology is a common feature for televisions and computer monitors, nurse call solutions are capitalizing on this advancement to display constant patient status at either the nurses' or monitoring station. Onscreen, patient specifi c care requirements and restrictions improve the care experience by providing seamless shift-change knowledge transfers. Care teams leaving for the day, and the care teams arriving for the next shift, have access to the same information providing the best care for every patient entrusted to them. These features are inherent to nurse call systems and are relatively easy to implement as a new or upgraded system. Nurse call system designers still need to begin with room status lights and alerts tied to both the nurses' station and the patient bed, extending to restroom/ shower room as emergency pull stations, and back to the bed to interface with patient entertainment for control of the TV, lights and the do-not-disturb button. All patient care systems, including nurse call systems, are focused on improved care and safety. The nurse call industry remains committed to its primary function and is constantly improving system functionality for that purpose. Previous releases of nurse call solutions have undergone signifi cant updates to facilitate multiple interfaces with many hospitals' "code" call systems. Many available systems are front ended by a status board that provides real- time monitoring of bed details like exit alarms, head and foot rails, breaks, bed angle and even weight. Recent Today's nurse call, communication systems deliver improved patient care BY JOHN KACPERSKI Intercom Beyond THE

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