From sleep disturbances to elevated medical stress to communication barriers with clinicians, hospital noise puts patients on a fast track to dissatisfaction.

So, when a major healthcare system's neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and high-risk birthing centers were plagued with noise disturbances, SMG3Rx and Zebra Technologies stepped in to save the day via a customized clinical device strategy.

Hospital Noise Undermined Patient Recovery and Satisfaction

When there's a NICU emergency, patients in the maternity ward need bedside assistance, or a fragile newborn's condition changes, NICU staff need an efficient way to get those alerts. And like most other healthcare facilities, this particular hospital network used overhead paging functions to deliver these vital communications.

The problem: It created unnecessary noise pollution that can overwhelm patients and result in adverse health effects, such as medical stress and inability to sleep — ultimately impeding recovery and impacting patients' cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health.

Per the research study, NICUs in this hospital system saw decibel (dB) levels well above the baseline medical standard (also called transitory noise). And 77% of hospital noise had been caused by overhead paging.

Of course, you can't just cease alerts and emergency notifications — but is there a better way for these NICUs to communicate?

The Best Way to Fight NICU Noise? Clinical Mobile Computers.

To combat NICU noise, these hospitals needed to change the entire paradigm for clinical communication by allowing:

• Staff to receive medical updates without bothering nearby patients
• Patients to quickly get bedside assistance without disturbing the whole facility
• Distributing emergency response alerts in a more subtle way
• Instant, real-time communication directly with colleagues

In other words — communications that reduce transitory noise.

And through its strategic partnership with Zebra, SMG3Rx transformed how these NICUs operated by configuring, deploying, and managing clinical mobile devices tailored to their needs.

What did this mean for hospitals? Clinical staff could receive alerts, view health records, and engage via push-to-talk, secure text, voice calling, and video conferencing — all in the palm of their hands.

Replacing overhead paging with a clinical mobility solution drastically cut down the noise and, more specifically, decreased the transitory noise by two-thirds. Patients can now recuperate in peace and get the rest they need for a swift recovery. This solution also helps clinicians deliver safer, more effective care by having all communications and healthcare data right at their fingertips.

Looking to get more from your clinical mobile devices and streamline patient care? Download our eBook to learn about the simple yet powerful way SMG3Rx can transform your healthcare facility through Clinical Mobility as a Platform.

Clinical Mobility as a Platform: Tailored Mobile Devices to Improve the Patient Experience

Implementing the SMG3Rx Clinical Mobility as a Platform solution completely changed how these NICUs operated and delivered patient care — and it can do the same for your facility.

This comprehensive turnkey solution partners the SMG3Rx expertise with Zebra’s best-in-class technology to deliver a secure clinical mobility platform customized for your hospital.

No matter your current tech stack or clinical workflows, our all-in-one solution makes it remarkably easy to deploy, manage, support, and maintain your clinical devices. What does this mean for your hospital?

• Better patient experience: Faster patient response, more attentiveness, and less hospital noise.
• Improved clinical outcomes: Healthcare information is more readily available to provide better care.
• More efficient workflows: Teams can communicate better with confidence that their devices won't slow them down.

SMG3Rx offers hassle-free deployment of Zebra healthcare-grade devices and expertise so you can optimize your point-of-care solutions. Learn why purpose-built devices through Clinical Mobility as a Platform are the best way to help your staff communicate and enhance patient care.

Transition Your Hospital From Noisy to Nex-Gen with SMG3Rx

Reducing NICU noise for a major hospital network created a more enjoyable recovery environment and better patient outcomes. And it can do the same for your healthcare facility.

Schedule a Needs Assessment or give us a call today to learn how SMG3Rx EDGE can cut the hospital noise and transform how you deliver care.