With better communication, healthcare organizations can safeguard patient interests by reducing chances of medical errors and giving medical professionals more confidence. Better internal communication drives quality patient outcomes, reduces stress and increases job satisfaction among care workers.
Perhaps most importantly communication breakdown within a healthcare set-up can prove fatal. For example, lack of communication between care professionals can trigger a wrong medication being administered by the facility nurse. Clearly, poor communication or the lack of it can cause patient harm if important information is not properly exchanged between healthcare staff.
Benefits of Care Communication Technology
- Accelerates the process of delivering quality care. Previously, a nurse at the nursing facility upon noticing a change in a patient’s wound had to write a report, take a photo, store that information and then get in touch with the necessary provider. With HIPAA compliant communication technology, the nurse can manage that whole process on her phone and can instantly connect with the necessary care professional (e.g.,wound ostomy nurse) with just a few clicks on her phone. This improves care delivery and saves time, as opposed to that time being spent chasing down the right person through multiple phone calls.
- Creates more efficient workflows. Communication apps benefit both patients and the staff at a skilled nursing facility. This results in more efficient workflows as staff feel supported in all aspects of their duties. In today’s world, technology is a tool that helps nurses and other healthcare staff grow more efficient in their jobs. Care workers need to feel supported especially post Covid-19, with high levels of fatigue and burnout being reported by the majority of them in skilled care and post-acute settings. A communication platform can help with that, as it alleviates staff burdens and brings everyone on the same page with a plan of care.
- Better care coordination means better care. With one communication platform, everyone who needs to be part of a specific patient’s care plan is included. This is key because it improves patient outcomes, makes it easy to quickly reach outside care providers and bring them in to consult on a patient’s health. Doctors or specialist staff are not always present at the nursing facility, so a secure communication app really does make it easier to connect and be provided with timely information from the right care provider. Better communication, improved care coordination and more efficient workflows gear up a skilled nursing facility towards better care outcomes.
The Growing Demand for Care Technology in Skilled Nursing Today
Burnout and provider retention are very real problems and Covid-19 only made it more difficult for healthcare providers to deal with such shortcomings. Being on call 24/7 in the face of so many existing constraints is already very challenging for the care provider. Therefore, communication that supports and increases job satisfaction among care professionals is incredibly important.
An extraordinarily effective communication tool can help with controlling staffing shortages, as it makes being on-call 24/7 more manageable for providers during such difficult times.
Communication with providers across multiple locations can also be a bit of a challenge.
This can induce stress and cause burnout across care teams. Communication with the team and partners from physicians, nurse practitioners, to facility staff is a constant need. In addition to this, the need for “patient-centric” communication is increasingly on the rise as this helps in addressing specific patient needs in a timely fashion.
How is Hucu.ai Improving Care Coordination across U.S Skilled Nursing Care?
Skilled nursing must invest in HIPAA compliant communication technology. Hucu.ai is one secure healthcare messaging app that brings medical professionals, patients, their families and external collaborators together in one platform. With innovative leadership, Hucu.ai is helping physician groups all over the U.S, each supporting dozens of skilled nursing facilities towards their vision for better patient care.
(1.) Increased employee retention and provider satisfaction. With proven success, Hucu.ai has lowered turnover and increased employee retention rates in care facilities. Care providers have grown more efficient and satisfied in their roles, as the ability to connect with their colleagues at any given point in the day makes their job easier. The majority of staff is satisfied with their use of Hucu.ai’s communication platform in coordinating care within their organizations (91%), as opposed to very few being satisfied with other tools such as phone, email, SMS texting or even WhatsApp. Hucu.ai has helped skilled nursing staff in improving their ability to care for their residents: 73% say that they can make care decisions faster, while 64% of them agree that they have become more efficient and care for more residents due to time saved in a typical day.
(2.) Effortless communication across organizations. Hucu.ai provides care professionals with a secure messaging tool that enables real-time messaging among the staff and the providers. This has paved the way for more meaningful care coordination with nurses across facilities. The ability to invite external collaborators helps patient outcomes, as now the Directors of Nursing or consulting therapists and physicians can be included in the conversation right away. Unlike other communication tools, Hucu.ai offers patient-specific conversations where information for a patient is organized and can easily be accessed. This saves care providers time from their busy schedules: 91% of facility staff say Hucu.ai saves them time on a typical day, while most of them say that it saves them 1-2 hours in a typical workday. Records of a communication in patient context saves time and allows care providers to review existing information on patients quickly before rounds.
(3.) Team collaboration and positive engagement. Hucu.ai has been influential, in terms of bringing care teams together and making them feel more comfortable and connected towards each other. Direct data from SNFs show that 90% of staff feels more connected to the rest of their team. Instant and supportive communication via Hucu.ai’s mobile/web-based app helps build the team and has also been a win-win in on-boarding new team members. With our constant support, care teams can swiftly monitor both staff and their interactions with each other, all while assuring that they receive recognition for their contributions. With more care providers getting the best out of our communication platform, they are more likely to recommend it to a friend or family member.
Schedule a demo today to learn more about Hucu.ai and become part of the value-based revolution!
Sources
Communication skills 1: benefits of effective communication for patients
