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Vaasa Central Hospital chooses technology to enhance patient care and staff safety

Patients in the ICU need constant monitoring. Their condition may change rapidly, so medical staff must always be aware of the situation. Intelligent health technology enables nurses to monitor patients’ condition in real time, even when away from the patient room.

A challenging environment

In the Intensive Care and Intermediate Care Unit of Vaasa Central Hospital, patients are treated in single and double rooms, providing as quiet an environment as possible. The most critical patients require nurses' continual attention, but it is not always possible for nursing staff to be present in, or have visual contact with patient rooms.

“For this reason, our nurses always carry Myco smartphones, to which nurse call and device alerts are delivered. Thus, the nurses receive real-time information about, for example, a patient’s arrhythmia, and know instantly when their help is needed,” explains Head Nurse, Anna Cederholm.

The nature of the type of care given, means that patients require close monitoring, a task significantly easier on an open ward. The layout of the ICU at Vaasa Central Hospital, with many separate and private patient rooms, would simply not be possible without the use of technology that ensures constant situational awareness. In Cederholm’s opinion, technology also streamlines nursing care.

Health technology facilitates new practices in nursing care
Anna Cederholm
Head nurse, ICU and Cardiac Care Unit at Vaasa Central Hospital

Essential information is always at hand

The ICU of Vaasa Central Hospital is using a comprehensive Ascom solution comprised of the intelligent nurse call and communication platform, the modular medical device solution, and the alert assignment system. All systems are accessible through a single device, the Myco smartphone.

“Data from medical devices in patient rooms is delivered to the nurse’s Myco phone. The phone provides a miniature display that allows the nurse to check, for example, a patient’s heart monitor. Medical device data is simultaneously transmitted to the central displays of the ICU as well,” explains Cederholm.

The nurses’ phones clearly display the reason for the alert, helping them to gauge the appropriate manner and urgency with which to respond. The alert assignment system means that each alert only goes to the patient’s caregiver team, which reduces stress and unnecessary interruptions.

“To further reduce the noise level, the alert is silent if the nurse is already with the patient,” adds Cederholm.

Everything in one place

Upon receiving a nurse call alert, the nurse may choose to speak with the patient over the phone. According to Cederholm, this saves time and walking away from their work as the matter may not require the nurse to go to the patient room immediately or, based on the conversation, the nurse will know what equipment or medicines to bring to the room.

Cederholm appreciates, in particular, Ascom’s personal safety solution with an accurate positioning feature. By just pressing the safety button on the Myco phone, a nurse can quickly and discreetly alert for help in a threatening situation.

“The positioning feature is important in terms of our staff safety. Our patient rooms are situated on a 60-meter-long corridor, so it is vital to locate the person who pressed the panic button without delay.”

Technology serves actual needs

Ascom’s solutions have been in use at Vaasa Central Hospital for some time now, and they have been expanded as needed. Petri Luoma, Head of Hospital Technology, points out that the keyword when planning technological acquisitions for a hospital is ‘need’.

“It is crucial that healthcare staff find the technology useful. The technology must meet caregivers’ actual needs and make their work easier. Any technology that is judged as being unnecessary or unhelpful will soon become unused,” Luoma stresses.

Intelligent hospital or smart health technology is not based on single, individual products but rather, on comprehensive solutions that enhance the existing processes and workflows. For a successful outcome, the planning stage calls for close and open cooperation between the hospital and the solution provider. Clinicians, engineering staff, and Ascom experts were all actively involved in the project.

“Ascom’s clinical consultant plays an essential role as an interpreter who understands and communicates both the needs of nursing care and the technical aspects of the solution.”

According to Luoma, as a result of the long-lasting cooperation, Ascom has insight into the hospital’s needs and actively follows the development of everyday work. Ascom’s continuing involvement is appreciated by Cederholm as well.

Ascom is always available to help us and resolve any issues emerging after the initial deployment, and remains there for us when we look at adding or expanding our solution’s capabilities
Petri Luoma
Head of Hospital Technology, Vaasa Central Hospital
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