User Reflection and Critique: Vocera Communication Badge
Name of IH example: The Vocera Communication Badge
Creator/company: Vocera Communications
First Impression: The Vocera Communication Badge is worn as a clip-on badge. Pressing of the call button opens the communication channel. The badge has a speaker and a microphone, an LCD readout to display emails and text messages supported by the system, together with an 802.11b wireless radio. The use of the “live broadcast” features allowed for instantaneous communication within aa unit. For example, a doctor managed to notify all nurses on duty of a medical emergency by just saying “Broadcast to the ER team,” and subsequently, the announcement was received by all staff on duty.
What is their design challenge?
Mobility: The Vocera is designed from the ground to meet the requirements of highly mobile workers who, at the same time, need to remain in connection and keep their hands free to continue with their regular jobs. The device thus was designed to weigh less than two ounces (53.9g), effectively allowing nurses and other health practitioners to have their hands-free, eliminating the need to carry their smartphones around. The wearable lightweight design ensures the badge is readily available and ready to use.
The badge is voice controlled, with a one-button operation: this provides nurses with a virtual hands-free use thus allowing them to keep working while communicating
Noise: the use of quad-microphones designed with integrated noise reduction technology (Acoustic Noise Reduction) and enhanced acoustic tuning eliminates background noises from conversations. The technology improves the hands-free experience and provides nurses with a greater accuracy for voice recognition in noisy environments characteristic of hospitals. The placement of a front facing large speaker provides for a hands-free audio eliminating the need to hold the Vocera Badge in hand.
Durability: The Vocera Badge was built with durability in mind. Its structural ruggedness with an independent spine and a reinforced housing provide is such designed to withstand the rigors of a challenging hospital environment.
Hospital Bacteria: the use of registered BioCole antimicrobial technologies is vital to the inhibition of microorganisms on the device.
User convenience: The Vocera Badge is designed to include a high contrast OLED display on the front section to facilitate easier readability. The badge also boasts a bright halo to provide a visual indication of the status of a call. The do-not-disturb button eliminates interruptions when necessary.
Who is their audience? The latest communication from Vocera targets mobile workers in 802.11b wirelessly networked buildings to enable immediate communication through the use of simple voice commands. The communication technology has obvious applications in retail, school, healthcare, campuses and many other environments that present high pressures. In hospital settings, such audience includes clinicians, patients, physicians and the staff to reach the right people, armed with correct information and at the right place.
In what context is it used? The award-winning wireless communication technology from Vocera provides real-time voice communication purpose-built for healthcare workers within the surroundings of a highly mobile hospital, clinic or health centers where seconds save lives.
What is the most prevalent way its audience solves this problem currently?
Communication among healthcare professionals at least to say can be difficult. The almost daily appearance of new communication methods, per se, presents staggering choices for physicians. The role of synchronous and asynchronous communication in healthcare is necessary when making a choice for the particular method for particular clinical concerns. Synchronous, communication, such as live video conferencing sessions and telephone calls between providers demands the involvement of all parties of a conversation be present concurrently.
Asynchronous communication, such as instant messaging, emails and secure file exchanges are rather segmental, involving the interaction of parties at different times. The implementation of Vocera in hospital communication reduces overhead paging in health systems emergency departments.
Are there groups using the same or a similar medium to tackle the challenge?
How is it more or less efficient that the most popular approach? The implementation of new communication principles and practical care plans not only efficiently enhances communication between medical practitioners but also increases the safety of patient care.
What specific pain point does it provide relief to? Communication among hospital personnel: in a hospital setting, Vocera offers a platform for intelligent, role based flow of work founded on integrations with critical clinical systems, providing a reliable, secure connectivity for anywhere and anytime communication. Vocera is designed to scale, providing control to health systems such as hospitals with the systems needed to layer new solutions for long term plans. It enables clinicians to deliver quality care to patients across their journeys in a hospital. For example, Vocera allows calls between nurses to be intelligently routed to nurses on duty who have been assigned specific roles, such as emergency care.
What are three features, elements, choices, etc., that you find novel or effective? Firstly, the dual band radio permits the Vocera allows it to utilize the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi spectrums. Especially, the 5GHz frequency is less susceptible to interference and noise from other radio frequencies. This leads to better voice recognition and higher voice qualities. Secondly, the illuminated Halo button surrounding the call button provides a visual status of the badge. A green glow is indicative of an active call; Amber pulses are indicative of “Do Not Disturb” or on hold. The Halo, also, can function as a notification button for emails or text messages waiting to be read. Thirdly, a multi-user operation feature permits the badge to be passed on to another user at the end of a shift, subsequently allowing a new user to log into the Vocera system and immediately start using it.
What are two elements that seem “off”? The drawbacks that Vocera presents are the issue of patient privacy. In instances when medical providers try to communicate specific care needs for a patient, it is imperative that such should be performed in a speaker mode to maintain the privacy of patients. Such becomes problematic in every instance where a physician has to call the nurse, and the nurse leaves a patient to address the needs of another patient. The use of this thus violates patient communication privacy.
Although the badge boasts durability and ruggedness, its clip is weak, and on several occasions has been noted to break. The badges have been reported to have weak clips that quickly broke. A broken Vocera is subsequently pocketed, compromising its usefulness. Strangely, also, people make weird looks and gestures when, as if one is talking to themselves when making calls over the Vocera.
Another disadvantage noted are dead spots within the buildings and during fire alarms. Dead zones have no Wi-Fi coverage; thus the Vocera radio never works. A user has to roam the building to a connected zone to stay online. The additional noise produced by fire alarms distorts effective communication.
How could they have caught this problem earlier? Several months of test before full rollout can help note dead communication zones, and rectify such by additional Wi-Fi repeaters and routers in such areas. Weak clips will need a redesign in the next release of the Badges.
What two simple choices would you make to improve it and how would it improve it? The use of staging in implementation technique for new communication modalities in a hospital is vital to processes and outcomes. Exemplifying this is the advancement in use of communications technology in different phases throughout a health care center is pivotal in addressing issues such as dead zones, where the functionality of such devices is compromised due to gaps in wireless connectivity.
Regarding durability and performance of voice communication technology, strong relationships exist between the physical use of voice communication devices is similar to the utilization of any other medical equipment for medical purposes. Just as nurses (and healthcare practitioners thereof) the responsibility for the working order – safety, accuracy – of a sphygmomanometer, a stethoscope or thermometer, similar considerations should also be given to voice communications to ensure it is good working order. Knowledge of proper usage and maintenance of the system components should be taught to the practitioners.
It is important that healthcare providers participate be in the selection of voice communications system that will impact in their practice environment as it may significantly improve initial comfort and buy-in with the new technology.
What was your impression after 20 uses?
Efficient and easier communication access: the immediacy and directness of using Vocera system for hospital communication provide a heightened access to communication among health practitioners than when solely relying on telephone systems. The perceived ease of communication allows for quicker location of hospital coworkers and does not as often as phone calls interrupt workflow. The implementation of Vocera in a hospital setting will enable nurses and other members of the hospital staff easily track down colleagues. Wireless communications offer the advantage of fast connection among nurses, making the hospitals quieter- an ideal environment to work and heal in.
Saves on clinical time: The integration of smartphone solutions combined with text and voice options in Vocera makes it easier for clinical systems to run smoothly. Effective use of the Vocera wireless communication technology significantly saves on time in responding to patient requests and needs, therefore reducing patient waiting time. Examples of frequent, time-consuming activities saved on by clinicians include: physical search for colleagues and resources and leaving clinical areas to receive or make phone calls at the nursing station
Improved patient care and safety: Vocera enables nurses to spend more time with their patients. The use of Vocera also presents the advantage of less health care provider-patient interruptions. Especially during busy times, additional focused time on caring for patients directly corresponds to improved patient safety. Patients get more doctor time, and emergency services can be called for during procedure complications and made equipment readily available on a short note.
References
Vocera Communications Inc. (July 2014). Improving clinician communication and collaboration across the health system. IDC Customer Spotlight. IDC health insights. Retrieved from http://www.vocera.com/product/vocera-communication-badge?gclid=CjwKEAiAg5_CBRDo4o6e4o3NtG0SJAB-IatY_w-YtJQXrYVND9Ztb_CtiSmf0iz-pyXC6LkOoVRrYBoCJTPw_wcB
