Hi John
This is also the subject of an editorial in the current BMJ.
(See: http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7387/460)
I agree with one particular point made there:
>Many patients suffer significant isolation while in hospital and are unable
to contact their >relatives or businesses to inform them about their
condition, or when they may be discharged. >Relatives also need to contact
others as clinical situations can change or important information >needs to
be relayed to family members. The provision of phones for patients and
relatives on >wards is often inadequate and goes only some way towards
addressing the needs of patients.
Re the Lancet letter
> Some hospitals have issued specialist registrars with mobile phones so
that they
> can be contacted directly by general practitioners.
Great! And this would apply to calls re referrals from other hospitals too.
Nobody seems to answer bleeps for calls from outside the hospital any more.
I experience this first-hand on a regular basis. Could this be related to
use of personal cellular phones? In the old days a bleep from switch could
mean a business or personal call, so there was an incentive to answer the
bleep. Now personal calls come through on the cellular phone, therefore ....
One last point, about terminology:
Cellular phone = GSM etc standalone phone
Mobile phone = "DECT" type phone that has a base station. The handset can be
carried around and used within a certain range. I believe some hospitals are
issuing staff with these and finding them very useful. In effect everyone
has their own portable hospital extension no.The phone can be returned to
the base for charging at night etc.
Gemma
|