As noted in our introduction, the healthcare industry is under financial attack from many different fronts. Providers are under pressure to downgrade the quality of care due to reduced reimbursements. How can you keep patient care at its highest level while forced to see more patients? How do you see more patients without working longer hours? The simple answer is efficiency.
Two-way radios are a proven tool to improve efficiency. In restaurants, we help owners turn the tables further. In schools, we help administrators multitask and manage problems in different parts of campus at the same time. For churches, we help keep production on time and safe. For healthcare providers, we can help you find five to seven minutes per hour to dedicate to your patients. That is how.
Reduce waiting time. Two-way radios allow physicians to efficiently move between patients by coordinating with nurses. The patient in Exam Room 3 may be next on the list to be seen, but the nurse must meet your additional needs, while the patient in Exam Room 1 is ready to go. Taking the doctor to the next reduces wasted time, creating happier patients and giving the doctor the extra minutes they need.
Coordinate care. The doctor needs a cast set or an additional blood test. Minutes are saved simply by making the request in the room instead of having to go to the nurse. Some facilities even use walkie talkies to dictate notes. Be careful when doing this so you don’t violate HIPPA laws.
Turning Rooms. Cleaning the room and preparing it for the next patient wastes precious minutes. Save time by coordinating with House Keeping immediately to clean and prepare a room for the next patient. If you can save 3 minutes per hour, you can see one more patient a day.
Find help. Patients often need extra help, and this usually requires the doctor or nurse to leave the treatment room to request additional help. Using two-way radios, simply press the button and call for help without leaving the room. You will save valuable minutes.
Two-way radios won’t increase your efficiency by 10%, but walkie talkies will increase the efficiency of all your equipment. The goal is to find 20 minutes of efficiency per practicing physician. Those 20 minutes can be used to see another patient, complete medical history work, or do research.
Two-way radios are easy and affordable to implement. We suggest that you use commercial two-way radios to ensure that you do not receive interference from consumer radios. Consumer radios are branded FRS or GMRS and designed for kids and outdoor enthusiasts. Headphones should be used in a healthcare setting and HIPPA regulations should always be considered when using walkie talkies.
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