The End of a Healthcare Communications Era
Goodbye, Pagers. Hello, Handheld Computers!
It’s official. According to the National Health Service (NHS), pagers will be considered obsolete in the next two years. (At least in the U.K.) Can you believe it?
If you can’t, it’s probably for one of two reasons:
1. You thought that pagers went the way of the pay phone around 1999.
2. You’re a millennial and don’t even know what a pager (or pay phone) is.
But the shocking truth is that many healthcare facilities are still using this outdated communications technology to reach doctors and clinicians.
According to this BBC report, the NHS “still uses about 130,000 pagers, which is about 10% of the total left in use globally.” That means that approximately 1.3 million pagers are sending messages to doctors and other clinical staff around the world as you read this.
Did your jaw just drop again?
There are a few reasons why pagers are still so prevalent in healthcare facilities, 30 years after their use surpassed their peak:
1. They can quickly alert and activate medical team members in an emergency.
2. Pagers use a dedicated network to send messages, making them highly reliable communication tools with minimal transmission delays.
3. They are lightweight and mobile.
However, there are just as many reasons – if not more reasons – why a pager should not be the first (or only) device a healthcare provider uses to initiate communications with other care team members, even in an emergency:
1. Pagers only facilitate one-way communication. Doctors and nurses cannot acknowledge pages or provide care guidance using pagers. They have to either find a fixed landline phone or use their mobile phones, if equipped with them, to call the person back.
2. The message has to be relayed through a third-party before it reaches the pager, delaying communications. Medical staff members have to pick up the phone to call either an automated line or dispatcher to voice the message they want distributed to doctors and nurses via the pagers.
3. Pagers are expensive, as UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock noted in the BBC story. The NHS is paying about £6.6m a year to manage its 130,000 pagers.
In my opinion, the cost of using pagers extends far beyond the infrastructure management expenses.
It can take minutes to page a doctor and receive either a return call or a resource at the bedside; minutes that some patients may not have. The cost of communication delays during the course of patient care, though hard to quantify, would likely far exceed any equipment sticker price.
Seconds matter in acute healthcare settings. Clinicians need mobile devices that allow for immediate and direct two-way voice and text-based communications. There should be no middle-man required to relay a message – human or otherwise. And staff should not have to use more than one device to share information with one another, whether in a written or verbalised manner.
That is why I am pleased to see in the BBC report that the NHS has been directed to “stop using pagers for communications by 2021 […].”
Simply replacing a pager with a smartphone-like device in a one-to-one swap will enable healthcare leaders to retain many of pagers’ benefits while delivering several new benefits:
1. Instantaneous communications: Clinical smartphones with push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities give staff the option to pick up the phone and, on the first call, reach the right doctor or nurse to simultaneously alert him or her to an issue and request guidance on how to handle the situation. Such mobile devices also allow for fast group text alerts that mimic pager notifications. The difference is that – with a mobile device – you don’t have to go through a dispatch agent to initiate that alert, which can save seconds to minutes. And you don’t have to know which number to dial, either.
With the push of a button, you can initiate a secure call to a single “subscriber” in your facility’s centrally-managed call list, a pre-configured group of subscribers (such as your primary healthcare team) or even an ad-hoc group (ideal for reaching providers outside your core care team). Others can join the call later if needed. And, depending on the PTT software you select, you may have the option to select between barge calling (for urgent communications) and alert mode (for non-critical communication) or allow for priority call overrides, which allow certain team members to interrupt ongoing PTT calls of providers in an emergency situation.
Plus, smartphone-like devices enable you send group text alerts that mimic pager notifications. But, unlike a pager-based system, these text-based alerts can be sent to any wirelessly-connected mobile phone, tablet, 2-in-1 device, laptop or desktop running the right software.
2. A single, secure data capture tool that also serves as a single, secure source of patient data (which you can be confident is up-to-date, up to the minute): Pagers aren’t the only legacy technologies that are long overdue for retirement. Fixed landline phones, fax machines, stationary computers and standalone cameras are among the archaic devices that some healthcare facilities are still using to capture and transmit data to care team members and back-office systems. Even more surprising is the volume of paper stock still used to manage admissions, patient charts, payroll, and other administrative filings. These silos – whether digital or manual – increase the risk of miscommunication and make collaborative care challenging.
Fortunately, a clinical smartphone can single-handedly replace all of those data capture and distribution devices without compromising data capture capabilities. If anything, this type of mobile device eases the data input process and improves collaboration since all team members are able to access and act upon the same set of accurate data without delay.
Unlike pagers, which can only receive an abbreviated, scroll-like alert, clinical smartphones can transmit multiple data points at once via multiple encrypted communication methods. For example, a doctor can view electronic health records (EHR) on the device’s screen while consulting with the bedside nurse on the device’s speakerphone to confidently recommend the best course of care for the patient. The nurse no longer has to track down the doctor to deliver a paper chart for review, which delays patient care.
Along those same lines, a doctor or nurse can document patient vitals, add detailed assessment notes or update the care plan in a patient’s record in real time while at the bedside so the doctor is making a care decision based on a patient’s current status. Things can change quickly in an hour or even a minute. He or she can also capture images of wounds or surgical repairs in the emergency room or operating room using the built-in camera so that a time-lapsed record is available to monitor a patient’s recovery. As one customer told me recently: “The [built-in] camera capture [tool] removes 5 extra steps, freeing up more time to be with our patients.”
Once a care plan is determined, the doctor or nurse can use that same mobile device at the bedside to securely order labs or prescriptions, document medicine or IV administration or even generate specimen collection labels, if connected to a mobile printer. The smartphone can even be used to remotely access and manage clinical devices such as infusion pumps.
Kassaundra McKnight-Young of Truman Medical Centers spoke a lot about these bedside benefits in her recent Stories from the Edge blog post and video interview.
3. Enhanced patient safety tools: Built-in barcode scanners enable doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other caregivers to scan a barcoded wristband to verify a patient’s identity before discussing sensitive information or administering care. Similarly, they can scan the barcodes on a patient’s wristband and the barcodes on an IV bag, prescription medication, medical device or other controlled items to verify the patient information matches up on both. Such medication, device and equipment scans also ensure compliance with insurance and regulatory directives set forth worldwide, such as the Falsified Medicines Directive and Unique Device Identification guidance in the U.K.
4. Real-time and remote monitoring of patients, personnel and assets: Built-in GPS technology enables clinical smartphones to serve as staff locators if they aren’t responsive to calls or texts. Pagers can’t tell you whether or not the provider received the message, much less where they are to try to physically track them down.
The smartphone’s built-in scanners can also be used to track and trace patients and equipment. Every time a patient or wheelchair is moved, for example, the porter can scan the patient’s barcoded wristband or wheelchair’s RFID tag to notate new locations. I spoke more about this in my last blog.
The mobile devices’ track and trace tools also assist with inventory management, which you can read more about here.
5. Clinical smartphones can streamline every administrative and patient care workflow: The value of this all-in-one mobile device is evident long before a patient is assigned a bed and long after the patient leaves the facility. Numerous customers have attested to this when sharing their clinical mobility stories, including Truman Medical Centers, Nemours Children’s Health System, BJC Healthcare’s Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Hexagone Neuilly, and this Dutch hospital group.
Unlike a pager, stationary computer or even paper-based intake process, a smartphone-like mobile device can be used to immediately verify insurance and triage patients from the waiting room and initiate the laser or thermal printing of patients’ barcoded wristbands. You don’t have to wait for a dedicated triage room to become available to initiate care.
Once a patient is ready to go home, you can present discharge paperwork on the device for digital signature and even print hard copies for the patient to take home if they prefer that over emailed instructions. In other words, clinical smartphones can even be used to complete nearly every healthcare workflow from patient intake to discharge.
(Although, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that a larger-screen rugged tablet or 2-in-1 computer with a full-size keyboard may be the preferred device form factor for completing longer-form patient admission documentation that is filled to the brim with small font copy. The good news is that these rugged mobile computers can also connect with your communication systems to send and receive alerts as needed.)
And these are just a few of the benefits you will gain by adopting a smartphone-like device as your primary communication device when it comes time to say goodbye to your pagers once and for all!
So, don’t fear this change. It is one that will be for the better – for your patients and your providers.
###
Ready to scope out a clinical smartphone to replace your pagers? Remember that not all mobile devices are appropriate for healthcare use. (And BYOD mobility strategies are not suitable for healthcare environments in most cases. My colleagues and I will talk more about this in upcoming blog posts, so stay tuned.)
While buying an enterprise-grade device should be part of your baseline requirements, it’s not enough to select a smartphone or tablet just because it’s enterprise-ready. Some consumer-grade devices claim to be enterprise-ready, but not all are properly designed or specifically equipped for healthcare applications.
Communication device reliability is clearly a concern in healthcare. That’s why pagers have survived so long in hospitals. But security, accessibility, longevity, usability and decontamination should be weighed just as heavily before investing in any smartphone, tablet, 2-in-1, barcode scanner or even printer.
I offered an in-depth analysis of these mission-critical considerations in this recent post. If you missed it, it’s worth the read given the implications of choosing the wrong device for patient care.
We’ve also developed a clinical mobility resource page and a free downloadable clinical mobility buying guide that can help to inform your device evaluation and selection process. I encourage you to check them both out.
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- by: Tony Palcheck
- June 17, 2019
- These Two Companies are on a Mission to Prove that Workers are Better Off with Intelligent Automation – and Zebra is Backing Their Efforts with New Venture Investments

How Robots and Humans are Teaming Up to Take on the World (We Mean, the Warehouse)
- by: Your Edge Blog Team
- June 14, 2019
- 5-year-old Collin Pruitt needed blood. Enough for nearly 200 transfusions. We’re participating in the American Red Cross #MissingTypes campaign to ensure everyone who needs blood can receive it.

Filling the #MissingTypes One Letter at a Time
- by: Christine Weber
- June 13, 2019
- The History of Zebra's Wristband Business

#ThrowbackThursday - These Aren't Your Ordinary Bracelets
- by: Matt Kowalski
- June 10, 2019
- Zebra Gives Developers and Independent Software Vendors the Tools to Drive Better Business Outcomes Using Data and APIs with New Savanna Data Services

The Next Frontier of Digital Transformation
- by: Wayne Miller
- June 07, 2019
- Three ways that wristbands improve hospital operations at the bedside and beyond

How “Simple” Patient Identification Tools Drive Better Front-line Care
- by: James Morley-Smith
- June 05, 2019
- Unique Approach to Technology Design Benefits Front-line Workers

Stories from the Edge: Finding Personal Inspiration to Make a Global Impact Through Technology
- by: Your Edge Blog Team
- June 04, 2019
- Kyle Thorstenson Interned with Zebra for Four Years. Now He’s an IT Supervisor with Five Direct Reports.

Why Zebra? Hear What Has Motivated More Than 40 Interns to “Convert” Into Full-Time Employees Since Last Summer
- by: Bob Ashenbrenner
- June 03, 2019
- Plus, Tips on How to Minimize the Risk of Failure on Your Next Mobility Project

When I Grow Up, I Want to be a Musician: Finding Harmony with the Right (Mobile) Instrument
- by: Wayne Miller
- May 31, 2019
- Clinical Workflow Capabilities to Benefit Patient and Provider

Prescribing the Right Tech to Modernise Healthcare
- by: Tom Kost
- May 30, 2019
- Not All “Rugged” Devices are Enterprise-Ready Rugged

5 Ways to Tell if Your “Rugged” Tablet, Laptop or Handheld is a Knock-Off
- by: Matt Kowalski
- May 28, 2019
- How Zebra Helped Me Turn a Pipe Dream into a Patent

The Incredulous Inventor
- by: Kassaundra McKnight-Young
- May 24, 2019
- Healthcare Providers Say This is the One and Only Tool They Need to Stay Connected to Each Other, Deliver a Higher Quality of Bedside Care

Stories from the Edge: Truman Medical Centers are Lightening the “Nurse Toolbelt,” Giving More Weight to Effective Care-Team Communications
- by: Your Edge Blog Team
- May 23, 2019
- Ed Barkan’s Innovative Spirit, Clever Engineering and Nearly 300 AIDC Patents Have Made All of Our Jobs Easier

#ThrowbackThursday: Meet the Zebra (and AIDC Industry Legend) Who Designed the First Handheld Scanner – and the Scanner You Probably Have in Your Hand Right Now
- by: Your Edge Blog Team
- May 22, 2019
- We “Ask the Expert” to explain the purpose, benefits and potential payoff of the “Internet of Things"

A Question of Intelligence: What Is IoT, Anyway?
- by: Nick Clemente
- May 20, 2019
- Zebra L10 portfolio achieves EPEAT Silver Rating against updated 2019 standards

Corporate Social Responsibility: How Zebra is Raising the Bar with Its Rugged Tablets
- by: Raj Chatterjee
- May 15, 2019
- But we did more than give this solution a new name. We added new predictive analytics capabilities, integrated more device performance data and improved the user experience to give you a greater return on your mobility investment.

Did You Hear? Zebra “Operational Visibility Services” is Now “VisibilityIQ™ Foresight”
- by: Bob Ashenbrenner
- May 14, 2019
- 3 reasons why you should evaluate TCO for your field operations technology every time

Putting the “Total” Back in Total Cost of Ownership – Part 2
- by: Drew Ehlers
- May 13, 2019
- We ask the experts to breakdown the real meaning of tech buzzwords and trends as part of a new FAQ series

What Is Blockchain Technology? And, Does It Deliver Any Real Business Benefits Today?
- by: Your Edge Blog Team
- May 09, 2019
- Happy Birthday Zebra!

#ThrowbackThursday | Two Founders, Two CEOs, 50 Years of Innovation and Growth

- by: Bob Ashenbrenner
- May 07, 2019
- 3 reasons why you should evaluate TCO for your field operations technology every time

Putting the “Total” Back in Total Cost of Ownership – Part 1
- by: Your Edge Blog Team
- May 06, 2019
- Latin America Distribution Channel Manager Mariana Souza Silva Explains Why She is So Passionate About Working for Zebra

What Makes Me Love Mondays
- by: Tom McNeela
- May 03, 2019
- Data shows worker productivity is increasingly disrupted by failing mobile device batteries

Do Not Get Caught Off-Guard, or Offline: Have a (Battery) Back-Up Plan
- by: Mike Steele
- May 02, 2019
- Zebra Leads Nasdaq Closing Market Bell Ceremony on May 1 to Mark Company’s 50th Anniversary

Do You Hear That Ringing?
- by: Cuneyt Taskiran
- May 01, 2019
- How 3D Sensors Are Transforming the Transportation and Logistics Industry

This One Technology is Delivering a Solution to “The Parcel Problem”
- by: Mark Jolley
- April 30, 2019
- 4 ways this advanced technology is improving the shopping experience

Augmented Reality is Becoming a Retail Reality
- by: Paul Norford
- April 29, 2019
- Strategies to engage younger employees and adapt on-the-job education efforts

The New Workforce Challenge: How Do We Train the Next Generation When They're Already Ahead?
- by: Tom Boehm
- April 26, 2019
- How the high school robotics program is leveraging Zebra technologies, mentors to inspire future engineers

FIRST Steps: An Inside Look at the STEM Initiative
- by: Bob Ashenbrenner
- April 25, 2019
- Rugged tablet’s unique hard-handle design originated at patient bedsides

True Story: How Field Service First Got a Handle on Mobility (Thanks to Hospitals)
- by: Cuneyt Taskiran
- April 24, 2019
- Three reasons why 3D technology may be the smarter investment for your business

The Visual Data Capture Debate: Cameras vs. 3D Sensors
- by: Steve Mulroy
- April 23, 2019
- New Technology Solutions from Zebra and Digimarc Significantly Speed Up Item Scanning: A Win-Win for Grocers and Grocery Shoppers

Wish Your Grocery Store Checkout Lane Could Move Faster? Read This!
- by: Mark Jolley
- April 22, 2019
- How supply chain visibility and intelligent packing support a sustainable returns process

Efficient Returns Management Benefits the Customer, Retailer and Environment
- by: Therese Van Ryne
- April 21, 2019
- Expanding Our Scope of “Sustainability”

A Sneak Peek into How Zebra Will Give Back to Global Communities on Earth Day – and All Year Round
- by: James Morley-Smith
- April 19, 2019
- Whatever holds you back is key to moving forward

How to Turn Your Impairments into an Advantage – in Business and in Life
- by: Mark Thomson
- April 18, 2019
- Research shows there’s a direct correlation between happy employees and happy customers

Want to Boost Your Bottomline? Invest More in Your Front-Line “Brand Ambassadors”
- by: Chris Sullivan
- April 17, 2019
- Best Practices Gleaned from Pilot Programs, Other Industry Initiatives Help Ensure Healthcare Innovation Efforts such as Ontario’s Bill 74 are Executed Flawlessly

Healthcare Modernization: What Local Governments Can Learn from Global Communities
- by: Jim Hilton
- April 16, 2019
- Increasing visibility to improve inventory accuracy

Making Supply Chain Operations More Agile through Superior Industry Collaboration
- by: Dave Phillips
- April 15, 2019
- Gartner Magic Quadrant, Zebra Industry Guide Offer Visibility into the Location Technology Solutions Available Today for Your Warehouse, Factory, Distribution Center or Retail Store

Don’t Lose Sight of Your Valuables: New Insights into the Track and Trace Technologies You Should Be Following
- by: James Morley-Smith
- April 12, 2019
- How Robots Will Make Us Even Better at Our Jobs

Why We Should Be Excited About the Fourth Industrial Revolution
- by: Chris Sullivan
- April 11, 2019
- Use of Advanced Technology Will Empower the Province to Better Serve Its Citizens

Ontario Aims to Build the “Healthcare System of the Future”
- by: Tom Boehm
- April 11, 2019
- Zebra employee mentors robotics team for over 20 years while company grows commitment to supporting technical education

#ThrowbackThursday – The History of Zebra’s Support for FIRST®
- by: Darren Russell
- April 10, 2019
- How to Take Track and Trace to New Heights

Are Global Supply Chains Ready for the European Union’s Tobacco Products Directive?
- by: Drew Ehlers
- April 09, 2019
- World IoT Day Celebrates the Versatility and Scalability of IoT Solutions, Demonstrates Their Ability to Help Accelerate Creation of Data-Powered Environments

Study: Enterprises are Embracing IoT Technologies to Increase Operational Intelligence
- by: Jim Hilton
- April 05, 2019
- New study reveals that only 60 percent of respondents have adopted a “mobile first” strategy

Why Your Field Operations Need Enterprise Mobile Technology
- by: Rob Puric
- April 04, 2019
- The events that led up to Zebra’s millionth-shipped TC5X and other noteworthy industry milestones

#ThrowbackThursday: When the Touch Computer Took Over (Part 2)
- by: Mark Jolley
- April 03, 2019
- Warehouse workers are valuable team members and deserve a quality work environment

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee: It's Time to Modernise the Warehouse
- by: Joe White
- April 02, 2019
- Next-generation of ultra-rugged mobile computer will help warehouse operators, retailers and manufacturers prepare for the future while preserving the efficiency of past processes

e-Commerce is Driving an (Environmentally-Conscious) Evolution in Mobile Computer Design
- by: James Morley-Smith
- April 02, 2019
- Why Schools Should Consider Rebranding Computer Science

Is It Technology or Art?
- by: Chris Schaefer
- April 01, 2019
- What Track and Trace Technologies Will Look Like – and Look for – Moving Forward

The Rise of “Edge-to-Edge” RFID Applications
- by: Drew Ehlers
- March 29, 2019
- Zebra and Problem Solutions develop new way to extract edge data from IoT sensors to monitor the climate, automate real-time guidance and alerts in manufacturing, warehouse and utilities settings

Stories from the Edge: This Global Company Embraced a Startup Mentality to Accelerate IoT Innovation
- by: Rob Puric
- March 28, 2019
- The events that led up to Zebra’s millionth-shipped TC5X and other noteworthy industry milestones

#ThrowbackThursday: When the Touch Computer Took Over (Part 1)
- by: Bob Ashenbrenner
- March 28, 2019
- Want to recruit millennials and Gen Z into field service, manufacturing, and other industrial sectors? Show that you appreciate their (technology-reliant) skill sets.

This is What "Mobile" Work Looks Like to Digital Natives
- by: Mark Wheeler
- March 27, 2019
- How to Apply Technology to Achieve Your Intelligent Fulfillment Ambitions

The Six Dimensions of Warehouse Transformation
- by: Darren Russell
- March 26, 2019
- An effective yard management system improves your planning, management and execution capacity

Speed, Flexibility & Automation: A New Paradigm for Yard Management in An Increasingly Digital Age
- by: Bob Sanders
- March 25, 2019
- Meeting with U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Services Spurs Call for Action

Why We are Advocating for Pro-Manufacturing Technology Policies
- by: David Krebs
- March 22, 2019
- Bioptic scanners are gaining traction in higher-volume transaction environments, such as grocery

The State of Retail and POS Systems
- by: Therese Van Ryne
- March 21, 2019
- A Look Back at Zebra's First Innovation Symposium with Government, Industry and Academia

#ThrowbackThursday: The Birth of the "Intelligent Enterprise"
- by: John Pollard
- March 20, 2019
- An inside look at how Zebra is partnering with America’s beloved professional football league to enhance the player, coach and fan experience through technology at the edge (and on the field.)

Five Years Ago, a Nickel-Sized RFID Sensor Changed the NFL Forever
- by: Wayne Miller
- March 19, 2019
- Use this roadmap to select a mobility solution that you can be confident will meet your healthcare communication standards

Getting a Big Picture View of Clinical Mobility Considerations
- by: Tony Cecchin
- March 18, 2019
- Newly integrated Zebra and Temptime portfolios will give customers heightened visibility and control over cold chain assets

Temperature-Sensing Label Solutions Can Improve Consumer Safety
- by: Jim Hilton
- March 15, 2019
- Businesses need to be able to trust their inventory accuracy across their enterprise and beyond.

The New Supply Chain: Fulfilling for the Future
- by: Wayne Miller
- March 13, 2019
- Healthcare facilities and retail pharmacies around the world can emulate the European Union’s technology-based countermeasures to counterfeit medication distribution

One Month In: Assessing the Impact of the Falsified Medicines Directive on the Global Healthcare Supply Chain
- by: Shawn Harris
- March 12, 2019
- Contrary to popular belief, brick-and-mortar retail models are not dying.

The In-Store Experience is Still In
- by: Darrin Utynek
- March 11, 2019
- When Zebra Technologies contacted us and asked if they could send over a group of Zebra volunteers to help Bernie’s Book Bank dismantle our 144,000, 10.6-foot, 35-ton, WORLD RECORD BREAKING book pyramid, we quickly accepted!

A Guinness World Record Empowered with Zebra Technology
- by: Your Edge Blog Team
- March 08, 2019
- Integrity is perhaps more powerfully evidenced by the actions taken behind the scenes

A Company's Integrity Often Shines Brightest in its Simplest Everyday Actions
- by: Garry Reichert
- March 07, 2019
- Modernizing a point-of-sale (POS) solution is not as simple as integrating a barcode scanner into your legacy technology architecture.

Have Plans to Develop a New Point-of-Sale (POS) Technology Solution? Read This.
- by: Tom Moore
- March 06, 2019
- Many retailers face challenges in staying relevant while remaining cost effective.

#NextWave: What Retailers Must Do to Stay Relevant in the "Now Economy"
- by: Tom McNeela
- March 05, 2019
- To “intensify innovation,” we have to address the increased reliance on mobile technologies and rapid expansion of mobile workflows.

Integrity Drives Our Business Growth and Defines Our Core Mission
- by: Bob Ashenbrenner
- March 03, 2019
- Real-world emergency response, real-time data needs are creating a shift in mobility strategies for law enforcement, fire and EMS professionals.

Not All “Mobile” Computers are Mobile – and Not All Rugged Tablets are the Same
- by: James Cadman
- March 02, 2019
- No matter where in the world your retail business resides, you are being challenged more than ever to keep track of stock locations. You are even more challenged to get it back onto the shelves in a timely fashion.

“I Know We Have One in Stock…Somewhere”
- by: Bob Ashenbrenner
- February 28, 2019
- New survey conducted by Praetorian Digital via PoliceOne.com found the mobile technology tools that police officers need are not typically what they get.

Survey Says: Police Officers Need Mobile Technology That’s Actually Mobile
- by: Jeff Schmitz
- February 28, 2019
- Zebra CMO Jeff Schmitz introduces Zebra’s new blog.
