Evaluation Background: Purpose-Built Clinical Communications Devices

Here's background for our Evaluations of purpose-built clinical communications devices, outlining the key considerations for making wise purchasing decisions. Learn how the technology is used and what factors we test for. Also review our latest product ratings and ECRI Institute's data describing hospitals' interest in specific models.

Purpose-built clinical communications devices are the mobile hardware component of a communications system, made specifically for use in healthcare facilities. They are based on consumer smartphone technology, often ruggedized for the healthcare environment. They are used to provide a mobile endpoint for applications that help clinicians coordinate care through voice or secure texting.

Due to the general-purpose nature of the smartphones from which these devices are derived, many other needs can be met. These include supporting electronic medical record/electronic health record (EMR/EHR) mobile clients and medication reconciliation applications.

The devices operate on a hospital's wireless digital network (e.g., Wi-Fi), either solely or as an adjunct to other wireless connections such as IP-DECT. The communication software that they run to facilitate care coordination is frequently provided by another party but may be provided by the device supplier.

Although mobile phones have been used in hospitals for more than a decade for clinician-to-clinician communications, purpose-built smartphones, as well as software-only offerings, are a more recent entry. In addition to communication, some of these devices may also allow clinicians to access relevant patient information from hospital information systems to facilitate diagnosis and care delivery. Bar-code readers on these devices facilitate implementation of safety systems such as medication reconciliation, which is used to match patients with their medication to avoid errors.

A purpose-built communications device typically has the following components:

1. The handset itself

2. External chargers...