Avaya
has introduced new and enhanced unified communications technology
to improve patient care and make healthcare processes more
efficient.
The communications systems maker recently unveiled the new
products at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems
Society conference in Atlanta. The new systems are meant to improve
a number of healthcare operations, ranging from patient care in
hospitals to the emergency department admittance process.
Among the four products demonstrated at the HIMSS conference was
a new version of the company's mobile device checkout system that
makes it easier to reach individual staff members during their
shifts. This is accomplished by having a staff member swipe the bar
codes on their phone and ID badge at the beginning of a shift,
which registers the phone with a unique phone number.
With numbers registered to specific people, they can be more
easily reached. In addition, built-in RFID technology in the phones
lets hospital staff track associates by viewing a hospital map on a
computer screen.
Other new products include a nurse-call system that enables a
patient to push a button to directly reach an attending nurse,
instead of the nurse station. As a result, the system cuts the
amount of time nurses spend walking and increases the amount of
time spent with patients, according to Avaya.
Avaya also introduced what it calls a "patient admit
coordinator" system that can use voice, e-mail, or instant
messaging to notify key departments involved in admitting a patient
from the emergency department. The system moves each stage forward
on approval and coordinates the steps in getting patients from the
ER into the hospital, according to the vendor.
Finally, Avaya unveiled an automated system that calls patients
to remind them of appointments and get a confirmation that the
patients will attend. Patients are given the option to reach a live
agent for rescheduling.
The device checkout system is available this week. The nurse
calling and patient appointment reminder systems are scheduled to
be available in June and the patient admittance coordinator in
July.
Avaya's unified communications offerings in general got a big
boost last year with the acquisition of Nortel Enterprise
Solutions. The purchase particularly benefited the company's
existing Aura UC portfolio.