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New study highlights 98% of hospital workers benefit from instant voice communications

Reading, United Kingdom (28 July 2008) – Vocera Communications, Inc. has announced the findings of a new study completed by Kinetic Consulting with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, which deployed the Vocera communications system at the Royal Victoria Hospital Emergency Department in December 2007. The findings revealed that Royal Victoria’s use of the Vocera communications system resulted in improvements in the following key areas:

• Improved patient care and safety
• Increased patient and clinician satisfaction
• Savings in clinical time
• Process efficiency
• Reduction in patient delays

The Vocera® communications system is an innovative 802.11b/g wireless platform that enables instant hands-free voice communication among mobile hospital workers. Hospital staff wear a pendant-like badge around their neck and, by simply pressing a button on the badge, can be instantly connected to the person with whom they wish to speak by stating the name or function of the person.

At Royal Victoria, all emergency department doctors, nurses, ward clerks, bed managers, and medical secretaries were trained to use Vocera. The types of data collected in this study consisted of interviews, observational research, questionnaires, activity data and anecdotal evidence.

Following the capture and evaluation of the data, the study indicated that the Vocera communications system provided the following key benefits for Royal Victoria:

• 98% of hospital staff reported improvements in the quality of internal communication. Doctors and nurses both reported significantly greater satisfaction with regard to internal communications, with doctors reporting a 167% increase in their satisfaction rate and nurses reporting a 100% increase in their satisfaction rate.

• A significant reduction in time-wasting activities such as leaving clinical areas to make and receive phone calls, physically searching for resources or colleagues and waiting at the nurses’ station to use the telephone. Vocera reduced this wasted time by an estimated 11 hours per day, the equivalent of over 4,000 hours annually, just in the emergency department alone.

• 40% of doctors and 60% of nurses reported fewer interruptions while providing care for patients, reducing distractions and enabling improved patient care.

“This study has allowed us to evaluate the investment in Vocera and has shown us where we need to develop our communications. The advantage for us is having a system in place to continue the progression, and patients are already seeing better service as a result. Through the use of technology, our staff can do their jobs more efficiently and can spend more time caring for patients,” said Paul Duffy, Senior IT Manager, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

The study was conducted by independent consulting firm Kinetic Consulting on behalf of Vocera to evaluate the benefits of using the wireless platform in the emergency department of Royal Victoria Hospital. A pre-implementation study that consisted of quantitative and qualitative data was undertaken for a month prior to the deployment. The system went live in mid-December 2007 at the same time the emergency department was moved to a temporary facility. Two months following the implementation, data was collected for a period of one month.

“Vocera’s impact on the Emergency Department at Royal Victoria Hospital has shown how valuable immediate communication is in a hospital,” said Michael Hutchinson, Managing Director, Vocera Communications UK.  “The results show that communications with patients and with colleagues were significantly improved. The study reinforces some of the key benefits that we believe the Vocera communications system provides – most notably increased patient care and safety. We believe these benefits will become more pronounced as Royal Victoria expands the use of Vocera in other departments within the hospital to facilitate clinical staff communications.”

The Vocera communications system consists of two key components: the Vocera system software and the Vocera communications badge. Vocera system software centralizes the data while the communications badge enables instant two-way voice conversation. Other features of the badge allow users to answer incoming calls hands-free, call associates by name, function or group, conference call and make and receive telephone calls directly from the badge through the internal phone system.

About Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is the largest of Northern Ireland's five Trusts. It serves a population of around 340,000 people, spends £3 million pounds per day (approx £1.1 billion per year) on health and social care services in the city and, with almost 22, 000 staff, is one of the biggest local health and care organisations in Europe.

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is made up of the Belfast City Hospital, the Royal Hospitals, The Mater Hospital, Musgrave Park Hospital and community and mental health services throughout the city.

About Vocera

Vocera Communications, Inc. provides wireless communication systems enabling instant voice communication among mobile workers for leading institutions and companies requiring enhanced customer service, productivity, and teamwork. The company, based in San Jose, California, sells to customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. For more information, please contact the company at 408-882-5100, or visit the Web site at www.vocera.com.

About Kinetic Consulting

Kinetic Consulting is a London-based firm that serves clients in health care, information technology, and the public sector. Kinetic Consulting administered the Vocera benefits study at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in December 2007. A full report detailing the study’s results can be accessed at www.vocera.com. For more information about Kinetic Consulting, visit www.kineticconsulting.co.uk/.

Vocera Media Contact
Parule Amin
+44 20 7395 7072
parule.amin@fleishmaneurope.com