This blog will take a deep dive into mass notification systems and how hospitals use them to improve workflow efficiency. It will also compare different mass notification apps for healthcare staff, based on real hospital use cases.
TL;DR
- OnPage: Best for unified incident alerting and mass notification
- Rave Mobile Safety: Best for public safety and campus environments
- Everbridge: Best for enterprise critical event management
- Alert Find: Best for enterprise workforce notifications
- Alertus Technologies: Best for facility-based emergency alerts
- DiRAD Technologies: Best for secure government-grade alerting
- AlertMedia: Best for employee communication
- OnSolve: Best for public and private sector mass notification
Are all hospitals required to have a mass notification system?
Referred to as MNS, mass notification systems are used in hospitals to support safety and compliance. In addition to MNS, OSHA sets standards for workplace emergency alarm and warning systems, and NFPA 72® (the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code) serves as the authoritative standard for the installation, location, performance, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire alarm and emergency communication systems.
What is an MNS (Mass Notification System)?
An MNS is a technological solution that enables organizations to communicate and send real-time notifications to large groups of people. While often associated with emergencies and critical events, it’s also used for sending out operational updates, weather-advisories and other time-sensitive communication.. Messages are delivered via SMS, email, and voice calls so people can be reached instantly, without requiring app installation. .
Mass Notification Use Cases in Healthcare:
Real-time communication helps protect staff, patients, and visitors. Below, we highlight two key use cases, emergencies and non-emergencies, within a hospital setting, and how a mass notification system can support each scenario.
Emergencies Use Cases:
- In the event of a patient safety emergency, all caregivers can be notified simultaneously via their phones
- Instant lockdown procedures or evacuation notifications
- Infectious disease alerts and updates
- Security threats (violent patient or visitor)
- Missing patient alert (abduction)
- Mass casualty coordination
Non-Emergency Use Cases:
- Efficient staff management and coordination
- Ensuring operational continuity across departments
- Notifying staff of power outages or unit-specific failures to prevent disruption
- Supporting bed capacity management and surge coordination
Mass Notification Systems Comparison Table:
| Tool | Category | Best For | Key Differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnPage | Unified secure critical communication platform for mass notification and HIPAA-compliant messaging | Secure clinical communication, mass notification, and real-time escalation of urgent healthcare events | Combines hospital staff messaging and paging with mass notification on one single platform |
| Rave Mobile Safety | Emergency Communication for Crisis Situation | Critical communication platform trusted to help save lives | Connects you to other organizations and those you protect by providing innovative solutions that help you prepare better, respond faster, and communicate more effectively |
| AlertMedia | Emergency Notification System | Work for safety one- stop solution | AI guided notification suggestions for messages |
| Everbridge | Critical Event Management | Managing physical and digital threats | Enterprise grade mass notification platform ideal for organizations that may also need risk assessment and threat visibility, all built into the same platform |
| Alertus Technologies | Facility based communication solution | In-building emergency communication | Emergency audible and visual notifications |
| OnSolve (Crisis24) | Emergency Notification System | Government agencies alerting | Helping organizations protect the right people, assets, and operations |
| AlertFind | Emergency Notification System | Two way notification communication during an emergency | Strong contact management and mass notification combined into one platform |
| Dirad Technologies | Government grade secure mass messaging | Government agencies and enterprise communications | Confidential messaging for mission critical communication |
Mass Notification Tool Breakdown
1. OnPage
In the healthcare context, OnPage is best described as a unified critical communication platform. While traditional mass notification systems focus on simply broadcasting messages to large audiences, OnPage brings together secure clinical messaging, role-based paging, and mass notification into a single, integrated solution, ensuring both targeted alerts, secure staff messaging and organization-wide communication can be managed seamlessly from within one platform.
At the same time, its modular architecture gives hospitals the flexibility to adopt what they need. Teams can use the full platform or choose individual components, such as deploying mass notification as a standalone module, without committing to a complete system overhaul.
Why teams choose OnPage?
- One single solution for all messaging needs in hospital
- Straight forward and easy to follow UI for platform admin during time sensitive events
- Cost efficient, tier based pricing based on number of recipients, no extra cost for admin
- Can integrate with healthcare focused systems
- Elaborate report showing response statistics per message sent
- Ability to pre-save message templates
2. Rave Mobile Safety
Provides solutions to better prepare for effective communication during emergencies and in crisis situations.
Why choose Rave Mobile?
- 911 integration and alerting
- Panic button alerting
- Crisis management for planned and unplanned events
- Connect with key stakeholders to improve response time
3. Everbridge
A critical alerting and event management platform with mass notification capabilities. Used to broadcast messages to employees during the event of an emergency.
Why companies choose Everbridge?
- Scalable emergency notification
- Automate and customize responses
- Integration with HR and BC planning system
4. AlertFind
AlertFind is an instant communication tool used to alert company employees in real time when in the case of an immediate threat or outage. Overseas alerting and travel are also supported through AlertFind.
Why teams choose AlertFind?
- Target alerts to specific locations
- Pre-written alerts
- Two way communication; confirmation of read receipts
- Global coverage; alert team members around the world
5. Alertus Technologies
Offers multiple alerting strategies from digital signage on a mobile device to in person alerting through speakers. Their solution is designed to integrate into existing building systems to help assure workflow continuity.
Why teams choose Alertus Technologies?
- Facilities based notifications with IP speakers
- Widespread outdoor warning; spoken messages and siren tones
- Network based alerting
- Integration into pre-existing building systems
6. DiRAD Technologies
A user-friendly solution for employers to send mass notifications to employees in both the field and the office. DiRAD Technologies has usage based pricing with no additional hidden fees.
Why teams choose DiRAD Technologies?
- Two way communication
- Day-to-day mass notification communication for non-emergency scenarios
- Rapidly send voice calls, text messages, and emails
7. AlertMedia
Helps organizations ensure employee safety through critical response communication and integrated threat intelligence.
Why teams choose AlertMedia?
- 24/7 global risk intelligence to support emergency threats
- Assist work flow management, especially with travel risk management
- Social intelligence and keyword monitoring to detect threats
8. OnSolve (Crisis24)
Now part of Crisis24, OnSolve is a mass notification platform trusted by government agencies and enterprises used for emergency communication during an operational distribution.
Why teams choose OnSolve?
- Travel risk management; keep employees informed and safe
- Global security assistance for threat mitigation including protective services
- Multi-channel communication for mass notifications
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