I eat, sleep, and breathe customer service, and lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how difficult great service is to find anymore.  The wheels started turning while I was reading a Peteac Communications book that examined their personalized customer service model.  Then Voalte participated in a few Fall trade shows and, lo and behold, the theme for one was “Because it’s Personal.”  It seems ironic that everywhere I turn, people are talking about stellar, “above-and-beyond” customer service, yet it’s tough to find companies actually doing anything about it.  But not impossible… 

I was at the grocery store the other day and as I made my way through the checkout, the cashier pleasantly inquired whether I had found everything I needed.  We both chuckled at my usual response: “Yes, as well as several things that I don’t need!”  As she scanned my items, she noticed a bag of lettuce was open.  Before I could blink or ask, the gentleman bagging my groceries was off and running to fetch me an unopened one.  Now, if that’s not stellar customer service, going the extra mile, and making it “personal,” I don’t know what is.

So, how do we at Voalte make personal connections with all of our customers?  We start by providing them with their very own Voalte Care Specialist (VCS).   Each Voalte-integrated hospital has a VCS (our larger sites have two!), who not only knows and practices our Voalte values, but is also a member of the hospital’s local community and is familiar with regional nuances.  Each VCS familiarizes him/herself with the hospital’s unique policies and procedures surrounding Voalte, and gets to know staff on the units.  They make weekly site visits to orientate new Voalters, touch base with veterans, troubleshoot, and above all – listen.   The VCS takes seriously Voalte’s recognition that our users were fundamental in building the app, and are just as critical now as we continue to update and improve it.   VCSs strive to know their hospitals well enough to anticipate (and head off) problems and issues, but they also listen - to users’ suggestions, compliments, comments, and frustrations.  Then they report back to Sarasota.  VCSs play a key role in helping to make a user’s idea become a reality inside the Voalte One solution.

Regardless of the style a company chooses to provide it, excellent customer service, executed well, breeds loyalty.  Period.  Consumers want their experiences to be effortless, and provided flawlessly.  When a company exceeds expectations, not only will they keep coming back, they’ll insist that their friends and colleagues do as well.  Voalte works hard every day to earn new “raving fans.”  Coming up with the VCS program to go the extra mile for our users is just one example of how we stay in tune with their needs.

In other words, we genuinely love running to get the fresh bag of lettuce before y’all ask.  :)   

There is no question that the iPhone is the king of smartphones when it comes to clinical communication. No other device has been so widely adopted by nurses, doctors, and other caregivers.

In celebration of the iPhone 5 release, the five improvements listed below ensure that Apple’s latest iPhone continues to be the king of communication devices in the enterprise healthcare space:

1. Larger display with 44% more color saturation. As more applications provide medical document and imaging features, the richer and better display continues the iPhone’s dominance as the essential medical device for accessing patient information.

2. 802.11N support. The iPhone 5 supports 802.11 a/b/g/n on 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. This is a HUGE, HUGE win for future VoIP support on the iPhone. It also supports secure information downloading on an enterprise’s wireless network.

3. 4G LTE connectivity. The future of mHealth depends on ultra fast connectivity in locations outside the walls of the hospital. Furthermore, 4G LTE support from iPhone promotes video and other telehealth focused applications.

4. A6 CPU – faster performance, better battery life. Having the iPhone survive through a 12-15 hour shift is critical for point-of-care communication. The iPhone 4S was easily able to make this mark – with a new and improved battery, we can expect the iPhone 5 to last even longer at the point-of-care.

5. 20% lighter, 18% thinner. Caregivers have to carry around many tools to do their job. A lighter, thinner iPhone is just icing on the cake.

Apple continues to amaze and dominate the smartphone market with the design and functionality of their products. It’s incredible to see the improvement from the first iPhone 3 to the new iPhone 5. One can only imagine what the iPhone 10 will look like in 5 years…

Long live the king of mHealth!

When I joined Voalte six months ago, I was already a fan of the iPhone. I had read about this fantastic company providing a revolutionary healthcare communication solution via the iPhone. Needless to say, I was eager to join the team. I love providing excellent customer service and I love the iPhone, but providing support to those who care for others is especially rewarding. 

As a Voalte BFF, I provide Voalte support to caregivers at the point-of-care in real time. I’m there with our users throughout the course of a busy day to answer questions or provide other assistance that enables them to get back to their patients quickly. At any moment users can reach out to me by sending feedback at the touch of a button and I am able to respond just as quickly.  We BFFs do this all day, every day. It’s really all we think about.

Now caregivers are smart people. They’re well trained professionals and the work they do is complex and demanding. They’re dealing with changes in healthcare and responding to those who are in their care. They’re really amazing people. On top of everything they have to do, they’re navigating a technology leap from a patchwork of communication methods (personal pagers, overhead paging, call lights, patient monitoring systems, landline phones, and etc.) to Voalte, the one solution that allows for comprehensive communication from the palm of their hand. Suddenly, communication can travel effortlessly to and from your handheld smartphone at the tap of the screen. Voalte is an amazing and powerful solution for critical hospital communications.

So how do our users make the leap to the next level in communication technology? First, by being a caregiver at one of the best hospitals in the country! And while smartphones may seem to be ubiquitous, they are new to some of our users. The idea of using a smartphone may at first seem intimidating to some, but Voalte is built for comfort! Those who are new to smartphones sometimes need a bit of coaching on the phone itself. I’m the friend they can rely on to help them get over that little bump in the road. I’m their BFF, and our BFF team is there pretty much whenever we’re needed so that caregivers can get back to doing what they do best. Their transition to the Voalte solution is often an exhilarating experience because the user interface is so intuitive that they’re able to enjoy the benefits of improved communication immediately.

For me, it’s all a matter of perspective. You don’t need to know how to rebuild an engine in order to drive a car, and you don’t need to know every detail of how smartphones work in order to use one successfully. The Voalte solution makes it easy! Have a suggestion, comment, or question? Reach out and let us know. You’ll find my team listed under Voalte BFF in the directory.

Better communication means better caregivers.

Better caregivers mean better patient outcomes.

 

Fresh faces and excitement fill the room before each training class begins. Users chitchat amongst themselves thinking “what in the world is this lady going to train us on today?” They discuss what’s going on with their patients, their team dynamics, and their life in general. Often times, people come into class with preconceived notions from past in-service trainings and possible knowledge of iPhone or smartphone use. They may even discuss how Voalte will be perceived among their coworkers.

Now fast forward to the day of the unit’s “go-live”. Users may be a bit nervous about using Voalte. But there will be two major differences between those that attended training and those that did not: adoption and usability.

Users that attended training leave class excited about Voalte and how it will improve communication. Those that did not attend may feel obligated to use something they hardly know anything about. Adoption is key to the success of the Voalte implementation – or any other technology for that matter. Training class attendees know how to “Add to Favorites”, send feedback, find their extension, add contacts to the directory, and so much more. Also during training, users are given a user guide that provides step-by-step instructions on the Voalte application. If you do not attend training you are given a phone and left to ask questions that could have been answered. That person will only be able to use the basic functions of the application and are ultimately left at the mercy of their colleagues.

Attending training allows users to sit down and think about how they will use the application in real time, as they get the opportunity to practice operating the phones in class. As various features are explained, it is amazing seeing the       “ah-ha” moments people have about what the application can do and how Voalte will help with communication among colleagues in their unit, as well as throughout the entire hospital. They will now be able to receive information in a faster and more efficient manner. Training is usually the first point of contact we have with end users and is so critical to the success of the project.

See you in the next training class….

Here at Voalte we’re literally bursting at the seams. Our second floor office that once seemed cavernous is now filled with talented staff, and we’re expanding into the adjacent floor. In a few short months we’re moving to an entirely new location, configured specifically with a Voalte-style layout. The steady flow of new staff has forced us to formalize our on-boarding process, although we still try to not take things too seriously around here. And on a fairly frequent basis, one of our sophomore hires is awarded with their first pair of pink pants – a symbolic gesture to recognize an achievement like delivering exceptional service, landing a new account, or pushing the limits of computing technology. We’ve even moved up to industrial-grade coffee maker, and retired the trusty Keurig that got us all here, one cup at a time.

But employee growth represents more than just new faces; it is a proxy of the success of Voalte in the marketplace. When I first arrived (eons ago -- two years!), many hospitals were simply not ready for Voalte and smartphones at the point-of-care. Common objections revolved around device security, durability, WiFi reliablity, and even the perceived extravagance of using an iPhone at work when many users were still using clam phones.


How things have changed. The majority of our prospects now look at a communication purchase from a completely different perspective: “Are we going commit to a legacy cordless-telephone solution for the next 5 years, or are we finally ready to embrace the undeniable power that Voalte places in the hands of our users?” The answer we’re hearing these days is the latter. And with several new initiatives in our product pipeline, we’re all thrilled to roll out our next set of innovations to this evolved market.


Looks like we’d better stay in touch with the company realtor – I think we’re going to need even more space.

After having worked for Voalte for six months now people have asked me; “what question do you hear most often in the field?” When explaining what we do to hospital executives the over whelming majority ask, “if Voalte is a smartphone application can we just download it on our personal phones?” 

The simple answer is no, but the underlying importance is the reason why. Nurses all over the country have used different legacy devices ranging from complicated phones to simple single-use pagers. Now days all of the emerging technology is wonderful but we cannot lose focus on the end users. Hospitals are busy places and when a new technology is proposed caregivers are left wondering if they are going to have to learn how to use a new device or system?

This is where, as we say, a full “turn-key” solution is necessary to address the problem. After seeing our solution successfully rolled out at a number of hospitals across the country I have to come to realize that the reason for the success starts with the nurses being receptive and embracing the technology. Our end user training does just that. Our project management team ensures integrations are performed and infrastructure is configured correctly. Our go-live support maintains a successful rollout, while our ongoing supports keeps the solution up and running as it should. Lastly, our “app” in combination with our specialized devices and charging solutions deliver the efficient and effective communication nurses and caregivers need to deliver the best care possible.

It’s more than just about the app…it’s about our people and the overall experience.

As my colleague, Frank Watts, mentioned in his post “Noise and Patient Anxiety,” a cacophony of alarm signals, nurse call equipment sounds, and the like, can wear down a patient’s recuperative efforts and assurance that they are receiving the best possible care. So, too, can a frequency of alarm noises cause anxiety in hospital caregivers, which in turn, can deplete their ability to provide excelled healthcare. This syndrome, known as alarm fatigue, occurs in a clinical scenario when alarms sound so often that responders become desensitized causing them to respond slowly, inaccurately, or not at all. Another issue of “alarm discriminability” arises which affects the clinician’s ability to discern between one or more alarms. Hence the need for a better alarm delivery solution – Voalte One!

In a survey summary published in the MedSun Newsletter #65, October 2011 by The Medical Product Safety Network*, nine of the 350 health care facilities included in the network reported on the most common alarm fatigue challenges in their demanding and time-critical environments. The respondents represented a cross-section of the hospital staff: risk managers, staff nurses, nurse managers and biomedical engineers. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents experienced alarm fatigue daily, while the other one-third were clearly aware the term and the issues involved. Generally, many of the respondents felt that the varying alarm sounds required extra diligence that involved relying on other sources of observation. In order to determine the correct priority of an alarm, many clinicians would check central monitors in the nursing room, search from room-to-room, use split screens in patient rooms, etc.–all requiring invaluable time when seconds really count the most. Even with varying pitch and tone, many alarms in a localized area were still hard to distinguish properly.

Building considerations as to the overall size of the unit, high levels of noise, and closed patient room doors also factored into the ability for proper alarm signal discernment. That particular consideration and other conditions contributed to the survey-wide result that visual alarms faired better than auditory alarms when providing reliable, and rapid, information regarding alarm location and level of urgency.

When the respondents were questioned regarding their recommendations for better technological solutions to alarm fatigue and alarm discriminability, receiving alarm notification text messages on a smartphone was a survey-wide answer. Additionally, the ability to monitor alarm notifications and information portably through an iPad or similar tablet product was also mentioned as another important technology advancement.

*The Medical Product Safety Network (MedSun) improves FDA’s understanding of problems with the use of medical devices so that the FDA, healthcare facilities, clinicians, and manufacturers can better address safety concerns.

Whether you call them a HUC, an NCT, a MST, a UCA, etc., the hospital Unit Secretary is a professional juggler of tasks, Jack of all trades, chief communicator, mission control, and in many cases Mother Hen to everyone with whom they come in contact. Caregivers, Physicians, and patients alike appreciate what they do and reap the benefits from their daily interactions with their Unit Secretaries. Voalte would like to take a moment to recognize these amazing individuals.

The Top 10 Reasons we LOVE our Unit Secretaries:

#10: They work tirelessly

 #9: They are very knowledgeable about the workings of the department
       and are a wealth of information

 #8: They are always willing to lend a helping hand

 #7: They always know where to find everything

 #6: They know who to call in any situation

 #5: They always work hard to help everyone out

 #4: They are in control

 #3: They know how to fix any and all problems

 #2: They keep us organized

 #1: They ROCK!

To all Unit Secretaries all over the world, we acknowledge and value your ongoing commitment to your patients and your team. You make a HUGE impact, one interaction at a time!

Thank you!

Well maybe it’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn close. Before doing a house wide deployment, many of our sites decide to test run on a single unit. The downfall to just going live with a single unit is that you miss the crucial interaction/communication between units and ancillary departments. The other thing you miss out on is the buy in you get from different groups within the hospital.

The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics noticed the importance of including departments outside of nursing. UIHC selected a single nursing unit and then included all the Physicians, Residents, Pharmacists, Dieticians, Social Workers, Physical Therapists, and Nursing Administrators that the unit communicated with. Phase One was hugely successful–probably one of the best I have ever seen!

When we went live, users immediately noticed the value of the Voalte One communication tool. Nurses loved the fact that they could find Pharmacists no matter where they were in the building. Residents loved the ability to text Nurses during rounds. Voalte was an all around win with all of the Hospital groups.

However, there were unintended consequences. Now that a few pharmacists, dieticians, and others had trialed Voalte, everyone else now wanted one. I guess it’s a good problem to have…

I've been thinking a lot about the impact of mobile technology on Healthcare. For the last few months I have been working with a task group with mHIMSS that is attempting to prepare hospital IT staff for the flood of mobile connected devices heading their way and recently released the “What’s Next Work Group Report: Emerging Tech Trends 2012”. Some of the BIG trends that are moving more rapidly than we expect will change everything. In this blog I will take a crack at some of those issues.

Everything is going wireless… EVERYTHING! This is tough because hospitals are traditionally hostile environments for radio waves. They have lots of concrete and steel walls, long hallways, elevators and lots of electrical equipment that radiates interference.

It is time to get serious about your wireless infrastructure. Many hospitals have relied on 3rd party service providers to maintain their wireless networks. These networks may have been designed a decade ago with only data-quality capacity and little concern for fast roaming, packet loss, jitter and a myriad of other considerations needed for today's demands. Access points maybe hidden under ceiling tiles, have poor power settings, or have an obsolete topography and channel settings. When was the last time you had a top-to-bottom, campus wide assessment / audit of your network?

Have you been thinking much about the "Internet of Things"? Maybe you should. The amount of R&D that is pouring into development and use of wireless sensors is mind-boggling. Sensors will soon be arrayed throughout the physical space to detect a variety of adverse conditions…think smart beds, smart rooms, smart gurneys, medical devices. Sensors will be worn in clothing, stuck to the skin (smart band aids and patches), taken internally or embedded under the skin.

All of these sensors will need to be connected into a data network where they can accumulate massive amounts of information. All of these wireless devices and sensors are producing massive amounts of data and that leads me to the topic of Big Data. We will need a way to store, access and analyze petabytes of information. That's right, petabytes… 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (plus 20 more 0's) of data… but who's counting. Hidden in this data will entirely new medical protocols, diagnosis and disease markers just waiting to be discovered. Healthcare institutions will be drowning in data if action is not taken immediately.

The future is roaring down on vendors and providers and we all need to be ready to embrace the change. So…buckle your seat belts and hang on!