Beyond bells and whistles.

As an engineer, I’m all about technology. I love having the latest gadgets, and like tracking emerging technologies that will become prevalent during my son’s lifetime. But when it comes to healthcare, technology is only the underpinning that enables the great work clinicians do every day.

At Voalte we develop the best communication solutions so nurses, physicians, therapists, pharmacists and others have the tools they need to take care of people. When our customers report positive clinical outcomes from using Voalte solutions, we know that our technology is successful.

One great example of a healthcare organization using Voalte Platform to achieve positive patient outcomes is University of Washington Medicine Valley Medical Center. Next week, HIStalk and Voalte will host a webinar by Valley Medical Center on “Improving patient outcomes with smartphones.” Before-and-after studies will show the impact of efficient communication on hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, skin integrity events and medication errors. Register for the webinar to learn how to apply Valley Medical Center’s methods to your healthcare organization.

Other Voalte customers are also reporting on ways that our technology is impacting patient care.

When Tampa General Hospital examined the nurse-provider-nurse communication loop, they found a 97 percent time reduction after implementing Voalte Platform. For nurses who previously had to call a provider’s pager, leave a phone number, and wait for a call back, quick communication via secure text messaging makes a real difference in the way they care for patients on every shift.

At UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, the Patient Safety and Quality Committee set a goal to reduce response time to pediatric patient seizures. By forming a task force that includes Pharmacy, Neurology, Quality and Nursing staff, the Seizure Response team developed a new workflow protocol that includes text messaging via Voalte smartphones to decrease the time to second-line medications.

I’m all for the bells and whistles that make technology more engaging when it comes to games and gadgets. But when we’re developing healthcare communication solutions, it’s not about bells and whistles, it’s about helping clinicians provide the best patient care.

Trey Lauderdale is Founder and President of Voalte.