A pocket-sized revolution: New clinical smartphones reduce staff workload and improve patient care

Sentara Health is equipping clinicians at all 12 hospitals with nearly 6,000 specialized smartphones that streamline communication and improve patient care.

The smartphones are expected to facilitate faster admissions to the emergency department, reduce hospital length of stay, and accelerate the average nurse response time.

“This phone improves workflow and patient safety,” said Christy Grabus, chief nursing officer of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. “All of this helps us prioritize and spend more time at the bedside with our patients.”

One benefit is that clinicians no longer need multiple devices like a walkie-talkie, basic phone, pager, and a computer cart to do their jobs.

“We can be more in the moment with the patient. I can answer more questions than I could’ve before,” said Adrienne Cruz, a registered nurse unit coordinator at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. “We have more time to give the patient that little extra tender loving care that we'd like to.”

Additionally, the smartphones are anticipated to improve the turnaround time for radiology scans, decrease ambient noise from devices (such as alarms and bells), and reduce the number of steps taken by staff during a shift.

“This is Sentara’s commitment to the latest technology,” said Chad Branco, senior technical project manager with Sentara. “If I'm going somewhere for healthcare, I want to know they have the latest technology, whatever they need, to take care of me.”

By the end of this of this year, Sentara will deploy the smartphones to its 11 hospitals in Virginia. The phones will be deployed to Sentara’s 12th hospital, Sentara Albemarle Medical Center in Elizabeth City, N.C., when construction of the new hospital finishes in 2025.

'This is fabulous. It really is.'

After spending a week at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in Virginia Beach, Va., for sunstroke, Laura Colton said the care she received from staff using the new smartphones felt personal and connected.

“I've been in the medical field for 40 years, so I've seen all the changes that have gone on and this is fabulous. It really is,” said Colton, a former pathology technician. “I felt like I was at a bed and breakfast this week.”

Because the smartphone integrates seamlessly with Epic, Sentara’s electronic medical record system, it allows staff to input patient data in real time, scan medications and labs, take pictures of wounds, and validate device data.

“Giving a patient medication through an IV pump has gone from 80 steps to just 10 steps,” said Madison Carrara, nurse and senior IT specialty analyst with Sentara. “Nurses used to have to walk around the room four or five times to scan everything. Now with the phone, they can walk up to the bedside, scan the patient, medication, and pump all from the same spot.”

The new smartphone may look like a regular smartphone, but this secure, HIPAA-compliant device does not have access to cell service, social media, games, or an app store.

“No data is kept on the phone. They operate on one secure network. If that phone leaves the hospital, it’s useless,” said Fred Fowler, director of information technology at Sentara. “When the devices are docked at the end of a shift they're automatically wiped and that’s another safety and privacy protocol.” 

At the beginning of each shift, clinicians tap their badges to check out a phone and log into work apps.

Faster communication and better workflows

Cruz says the smartphone has alleviated a lot of stress and frustration, allowing clinicians to better focus on patient care.

“It definitely helps us de-stress our day,” said Cruz, who has worked at Sentara for 10 years. “Across the board, all of the nurses agree.”

Patient care is now more seamless thanks to the phone’s Dynamic Care Team feature, which allows clinicians to view a patient’s entire care team along with their availability and contact details, all updated in real time.

Clinicians will also be mobilized more quickly thanks to messaging that will send an alert to their phone if there is a stroke response, trauma alert, security threat, or other urgent matter.

Josh Adams, patient care technician at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, can use the phone to document vital signs, bed baths, lab draws, and important updates.

“It's definitely a lot easier to communicate and find out information, like which nurse is assigned to which patient,” said Josh Adams, patient care technician at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. “It also saves us time because we're not dragging around a computer cart with us.”

“We can also be in a patient’s chart, see lab results, and report to the doctor all at the same time, which is super handy,” said Cruz.

Adrienne Cruz sits with her patient, Laura Colton, who is being discharged from the hospital.

Some patients may feel uneasy seeing clinicians use a smartphone, so signage explaining their purpose is displayed in each patient room. Cruz always reassures patients that she’s using a secure work phone, not a personal phone, to provide safer, more efficient care.

“Change can be difficult to implement. This roll-out has been beyond successful as everyone is excited and embracing the change,” said Grabus. “We have been able to speed up the roll-out process because all has gone so well.”