Bridging the gap: How regional communication networks bring value to your health system [WEBINAR]

Earlier this month, Pulsara Founder and CEO, Dr. James Woodson teamed up with Georgia Trauma Commission Trauma System Planner, Billy Kunkle, to present a webinar hosted by Becker's Hospital Review about regional systems of care and how they help improve patient outcomes. The following is an excerpt from a Becker's article about the key points of the webinar.

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When hospitals transfer patients between facilities, departments and EMS environments, fragmented or imperfect communication can drag down efficiency and endanger patient outcomes. However, hospitals can leverage regional communication platforms to streamline collaboration and reduce the risk of errors during care transition.

During [a recent] webinar, Mr. Kunkle offered real-life scenarios to illustrate the need for regional communication networks. Imagine this: A cardiologist admits a 79-year-old man with a history of atrial fibrillation to change the battery on his implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The man has been off his anticoagulant medicine for three days, and awakens the next morning feeling confused and weak. His confusion worsens and a nurse alerts the rapid response team through an internal messaging system. A nurse arrives and after evaluation believes the confusion is due to dehydration and sends a message to the admitting physician.

While waiting for the physician to respond, the patient becomes more confused. The family and staff worry it may actually be a stroke and the nurse calls a stroke alert. The stroke team notifies the admitting cardiologist to order a CT-scan of the man's head. After a long time waiting for the order, the patient finally makes his way to the radiology suite but has now become combative. The team is unable to reach the admitting physician and eventually has to abort the scan. The patient goes to the intensive care unit where an intensivist takes over. After evaluation, she sedates the patient before completing imaging 6.5 hours after initial symptoms presented.

When strokes present in the emergency department, Mr. Kunkle said the ED aims to complete the scan within the first 15 to 20 minutes. In this inpatient case, fragmented communication resulted in a 6.5-hour process just to get imaging and the patient ended up with a large vessel occlusion stroke and permanent deficits. Studies suggest this delayed care is common in inpatient settings for conditions like ST-elevation myocardial infarction or stroke, according to Mr. Kunkle.

Continue reading the full article here, and watch the webinar recording below!