Congress Abstracts 2006

132

A PILOT PROJECT TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY ON INPATIENT WORKFLOW AND COMMUNICATION. Elizabeth Ryan, BSN, RN, Blanca Vasquez-Clarfield, MA, RN, and Dorothy Dulko, MS, PhD(c), RN, NP, AOCN^®, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

Delivering inpatient oncology care is a multifaceted process that requires interdisciplinary collaboration and frequent communication among physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff. These interactions often take place outside of the central nursing unit and away from telephone access. Novel ways of optimizing the effectiveness of workflow and communication are necessary to ensure quality patient care.

In order to evaluate the efficiency of an inpatient unit communication system, this NCI-designated cancer center introduced and installed a new hands free, voice recognition, wireless communication system. The system uses a small wearable badge and permits one button access to others on the network or connects to phone lines both inside and outside of the hospital.

A pilot project was conducted to measure the impact of wireless technology on workflow, communication and delivery of nursing care. A written survey was distributed to 64 nursing staff four months after the initiation of the system. The survey aimed to quantify the acceptance of the technology by staff and to determine to what extent they considered it an important tool in improving patient care and workflow. System evaluation targeted specific areas of impact such as the reduction of overhead paging, increased accessibility to staff when assistance is required at patients' bedside, and preferred methods of communication both on and off of the unit.

Fifty-six staff members completed the survey. 91% agreed or strongly agreed that the system reduced the disruption of overhead paging, while 84% reported that the technology facilitated communication between unit staff. 82% stated increased accessibility to other staff for bedside assistance; with 75% of respondents expressing a positive effect of the system on workflow.

Inpatient oncology care is a complex communication environment involving a large number of people and unexpected events. As a result, healthcare delivery has become progressively reliant on information technology. Our preliminary data indicate that a voice-based wireless communication system may have a positive effect on inpatient nursing workflow and communication.