Simplify internal communication COVID-19 Project
- Spread Portugal
- Oct 2
- 2 min read
Our healthcare professionals are having difficulty communicating with colleagues who are in isolation areas treating infected patients.
1. Problem identified
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Santa Maria Hospital was forced to convert nursing rooms into intensive care units for Covid-positive and critically ill patients. These rooms were not equipped for outside communication except by landline telephone, which was unfeasible due to the risk of contamination. This obstruction to outside communication was putting patients' lives at risk and resulting in excessive use of PPE whenever a nurse or doctor went outside to request necessary medication, etc.
2. Tested solutions found
We sought simple solutions to help with internal hospital communication. The project has already been implemented at Santa Maria Hospital and is now being expanded to include other requests as they arise.
Baby Monitors - Didn't work
Pros - Não requer que o profissional toqueCons - UnilateralMotorcycle Helmet Microphones - Didn't Work
Pros - BilateralCons - Ao tirar o fato, que é um processo rigoroso para garantir não contágio, os fios e aparelho por dentro do fato poderiam comprometer este processo.Remote Work App - Doesn't Work
Pros - BilateralCons - Precisa de uma boa ligação à internetNecessário - Equipamentos móveis (2 por sala de isolamento), equipados com SIM card com tarifário de dados móveis, e carregador Internal Communication Device - Solution Found
Esta solução permite que, sem necessidade de contato por parte do profissional de saúde que está na sala de cuidados intensivos, poder falar e até mesmo dar formação a colegas (os dispositivos estão equipados com microfone e câmara) para garantir minimização do contágio.
4. Who helped implement this solution?
This solution involved the donation of 12 Vodafone devices and pro bono logistical and operational support from the consultancy LeanHealth.
5. What do we intend to achieve with this solution?
Facilitate nurses' access to patient information in real time, with quality of perception;
Reduce the waiting time between the request from professionals with infected patients in isolation rooms and the response from the nurse providing support outside;
Reduce waste of protective equipment (masks, disinfectant products), which are scarce at this time.
6. What social impact was achieved?
Volume of patients in intensive care at Hospital Sta Maria;
Healthcare professionals from the intensive care unit at Hospital Sta Maria;
We know that the same solution has already impacted around 240 patients since our intervention, where the hospital contacted Vodafone directly to request more devices and support in the implementation.
Testemunho de uma enfermeira coordenadora de uma unidade de cuidados intensivos:
"...já dá para ouvir som e ver zona vermelha quando estás na zona limpa! A câmara para imagem tem um ótimo alcance. Hoje fizemos um procedimento cirúrgico e assim só entrou o número mínimo de pessoas! Os outros ficaram cá fora a ver e aprender pela câmara!"
Comments