HIGHLIGHTS
•client-based localization of the hospital staff
•mobile call function via app, integration into nurse call system
PROBLEM DEFINITION
In hospitals, nurse call systems are designed to request help quickly, reliably and in a targeted manner in emergencies and dangerous situations. They serve both to protect patients and to alert staff on duty. With a classic nurse call system, typically only the patient room from which the call is made is determined. If, for example, the patient is in the corridor, there is usually no possibility to call.
The nursing staff themselves are typically confronted with many patients and tasks and are often unable to place calls in a sufficiently targeted manner. Only well-informed staff with access to real-time information will be able to immediately record incidents and make quick and well-founded decisions.
SOLUTION
An intelligent tracking solution ensures informed, responsive and patient-oriented workflows. A mobile app enables locating hospital staff and transferring locations in case of emergency (call function). Via a button in the app, the emergency situation can be indicated. With each nurse call, the current location of the caller is automatically transmitted.
The nursing staff on the ward always have an overview of the system and can act quickly and appropriately in emergency situations. Call locations are visually displayed on 2D/3D plans. Seamless logging enables events to be traced continuously. Through automatic call distribution to several nurse stations (in case of high call volumes) and prioritization of calls (e.g. emergency calls), response times can be further optimized.
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons are installed within the area to be monitored. The beacons emit Bluetooth signals that are received by the hospital staff‘s mobile devices. An installed app interprets the signals and uses a signal strength measurement for positioning. Siliconfusion technology is implemented via a Software Development Kit (SDK).
If a medical emergency or dangerous situation occurs, an alarm can be triggered at the touch of a button in the app. In this case, the application immediately transmits the position data of the person concerned to the nurse call system in the control center. Forwarding the call to mobile devices is also supported. The nurse station and possibly personnel in the vicinity of the incident receive the alarm message and can react immediately.
Optionally, the collected data can also be transferred to the Siliconfusion platform. Here they are processed intelligently and can, for example, be filtered and evaluated for analyses of operational processes.
