Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Sep 13, 2019
Date Accepted: Dec 27, 2019
Notification and Communication Technology: An Observational Study of Call Light Systems in Nursing Homes.
ABSTRACT
Background:
The call light system is one of the major communication technologies that link nursing home staff to the needs of the residents. By providing residents with the ability to request assistance the system becomes an indispensable resource for patient-focused healthcare. However, there is little known about how the call light systems are being used in nursing homes, and how the system contributes to the safety and the quality of care for seniors.
Objective:
the aims of this study are to understand the nursing home staff experience while using the call light systems, and to uncover the usability issues and challenges associated with the implemented systems.
Methods:
A mix of 150 hours of hypothetic-deductive (unstructured), and 90 hours of standard-procedure (structured) task analysis study were conducted in four different nursing homes. The data collected includes insights into the nursing homes work system and the process of locating and responding to call lights.
Results:
The data shows that the highest alarm rate is before and after mealtimes. The staff exceeded the administration’s expectations of time to respond 50% of the time. Additionally, staff canceled 10% of the call lights and didn’t immediately assist residents due to high workloads. Further, staff forgot to come back to assist residents over 3% of the time. Usability issues such as broken parts, lack of feedback, lack of prioritization and low/no discriminability are also contributing to the long response time. Residents more than 8% of the time notified the staff about call lights after they waited for a long time, these residents were left unattended.
Conclusions:
Nursing homes that are still using old call light systems risk the continuation of usability issues that can affect the performance of the staff and contribute to a decline staff and resident outcomes. While the healthcare industry has been at the forefront of technological advancements and implementation, it is important to recognize the contribution of technology in the quality of service delivery for the elderly population in nursing homes, and to the nursing homes staff working conditions.
Citation
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