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Beyond Paging: Building a Web-based Communication Tool for Nurses and Physicians

  • Innovations in Clinical Practice
  • Published:
Journal of General Internal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

The traditional means of communication between nurses and physicians is through paging. This method is disruptive to the workflow of both professions and is too non-specific to be used for all types of messages.

Aims

We undertook a quality improvement project to streamline communication between nurses and trainees for urgent and non-urgent matters. We assessed user uptake and satisfaction with the new method.

Setting

A General Internal Medicine teaching unit in a tertiary care academic centre.

Methods

Through collaborative techniques, we developed a novel communication method that sends non-urgent messages to a Web-based task list and urgent messages to an alphanumeric pager. We implemented this new technology using a collaborative process between nurses and physicians to address all concerns.

Evaluation

Post-implementation surveillance indicated a high degree of uptake of the new practice. User surveys and focus groups showed a high level of satisfaction and a perceived decrease in interruptions to the workflow of both nurses and physicians with the new system. Usage data indicated that the new system may increase overall non-urgent communication.

Conclusion

A Web-based system to triage urgent and non-urgent messages between nurses and physicians was developed collaboratively and implemented successfully to improve workflow for both groups.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Ms. Marlene Robinson, Chief Information Officer, and Dr. Allan Detsky, Physician-in-Chief, Mount Sinai Hospital, for their support of this project, which was funded exclusively by Mount Sinai Hospital.

Conflict of Interest

None disclosed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Kenneth A. Locke MD, MSc, Dante Morra MD, MBA & Nicolas Hariton MD

  2. Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Kenneth A. Locke MD, MSc, Barbara Duffey-Rosenstein RN, MScN, Giancarlo De Lio BSc, MBA & Nicolas Hariton MD

  3. The Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Dante Morra MD, MBA

  4. The Centre for Innovation in Complex Medical Care, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Kenneth A. Locke MD, MSc & Dante Morra MD, MBA

Authors
  1. Kenneth A. Locke MD, MSc
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  2. Barbara Duffey-Rosenstein RN, MScN
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  3. Giancarlo De Lio BSc, MBA
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  4. Dante Morra MD, MBA
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  5. Nicolas Hariton MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenneth A. Locke MD, MSc.

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Locke, K.A., Duffey-Rosenstein, B., De Lio, G. et al. Beyond Paging: Building a Web-based Communication Tool for Nurses and Physicians. J GEN INTERN MED 24, 105–110 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-008-0827-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-008-0827-2

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