A recent study shows that the need for improved security among hospitals is on the rise. According to the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS), 98% of healthcare facilities experience violence and criminal incidences. With long hours of operation, a large number of buildings to manage and a rising vulnerability to criminal activity, these organizations face unique challenges when it comes to security.
At the same time, while the need for improved security solutions among healthcare facilities becomes increasingly critical, communication within these organizations is also an area leaving room for improvement. At first glance, these two problems might appear to be unrelated. However, new mass notification software technology can help with both.
While a mass notification platform allows hospitals to quickly send both emergency messages and general announcements to patients and staff through any security communication device on campus, they are also integrating the software into their communication systems to help manage staffing changes, generate revenue, use time more efficiently, and improve the quality of patient care.
The mission statement behind every healthcare organization uniquely defines the group’s visions for providing the best possible patient care. In the case of one hospital, the absence of a mass notification system made managing the ratio of staff to patients a time-consuming and inefficient task. The process forced nurses to leave their patients for extended periods of time. For example, when a nurse called in sick to work, it became the job of another nurse to begin the daunting task of manually dialing the telephone to look for substitutes.
After the installation of notification software, a multi-department meeting helped the staff members come up with creative ways to use the technology to streamline many day-to-day processes. Because the software now allows the nurses to send an alert to several people on a variety of communication devices, the problem of finding substitute nurses is quickly resolved. Everyone receives the message at the same time and has an equal opportunity to respond.
The same hospital is also using the mass notification software to increase annual revenue. In the event of an accident, the ability to quickly pull surgical teams together for emergency operations is made possible with a mass notification platform.
If the hospital needs to reach surgeons specializing in different areas, one quick alert delivered by SMS, e-mail or phone call can make the difference in gaining the needed team members or missing out on an opportunity. The team members can respond with a quick message notifying the right people when they will arrive.
There are several more ways mass notification software has helped improve productivity and operational processes for businesses within a growing number of industries. We will continue to see the rise of mass notification technologies in new spaces, resulting in increased opportunities for integration beyond traditional security applications.
