Coronavirus: An Urgent Need for Clinical Communication Solutions

As the outbreak of Coronavirus spreads rapidly, with new cases being confirmed in different parts of the globe, one can’t undermine the importance of rapid dissemination of information related to patient care.

Rapid dissemination is especially crucial in unprecedented situations like this, where deadly viruses, such as Coronavirus (COVID-19), present themselves with symptoms similar to the flu, underscoring the importance of collaboration between clinicians treating the case from diagnosis to patient care.

In this post, I’ll be highlighting how digital communication platforms play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 in healthcare.

Latest Studies on the Virus

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published its report on the first case of  COVID-19, discussing the importance of close collaboration between clinicians and public health authorities.

In order to gear-up for a pandemic of this magnitude, it’s important for healthcare organizations to implement a collaboration strategy that streamlines communication channels for first responders and care teams.

OnPage’s Clinical Communication Solution

• Emergency Responder Collaboration – The role of first responders on the front line is indispensable during an outbreak. They play a vital role in responding to emergencies, providing emergency transport and treatment to the patient. OnPage enables first responders to send and receive real-time situational alerts, making them better equipped to handle the issue at hand. Command staff has access to web management console that displays who received a critical message and when, along with status updates. This ensures that no message slips through the cracks, and patients suspected of contracting the virus get immediate medical attention.

“We know the OnPage system has the ability to save lives and I’d like to see other people in my industry benefit from it too. Brighton Ambulance relies on the system every day and it’s doing a phenomenal job” – Brad Sentfleben, EMS Captain, Brighton Ambulance, New York.

• Advanced Chat View for Care Teams – OnPage’s mobile chat view works similar to a chat-based app, enabling care teams to securely collaborate and communicate with each other. Physicians can send medical images and records of the infected patient securely through the OnPage HIPAA-compliant solution.
• Persistent Alerting – OnPage’s eight-hour alerting engine ensures that no critical alert is missed during the emergency communication process. High-priority alerts continue to ring until addressed by the tasked recipient or appropriate user. This feature is specifically important to patients suffering from COVID-19, who may require immediate attention while they’re quarantined for treatment.
• Leveraging Mass Notifications –  Mass notification systems keep medical professionals updated about urgent situations. Appropriate healthcare groups receive simultaneous information regarding COVID-19, along with critical commands or instructions. OnPage BlastIT is an add-on mass notification solution, ensuring that care teams receive timely alerts, every time. BlastIT provides message acknowledgments, highlighting when recipients receive an urgent mass notification.

As COVID-19 continues to spread, it’s critical that healthcare organizations are well prepared to tackle the situation. Efficient clinical communication is imperative when dealing with these high-risk situations. OnPage’s clinical communication platform enhances team messaging, improving patient treatment and providing a slight sense of relief among the hysteria.