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The growing need for staff safety in healthcare
If you ask any nurse, doctor or healthcare worker, they’ll tell you that violence in hospitals are on the rise. In fact, over 60% of healthcare workers have faced aggression from patients, relatives and visitors. It’s a tough reality, especially for those working in emergency departments and mental health settings, where tensions can escalate quickly.Â
With hospitals busier than ever and healthcare workers stretched thin, ensuring staff safety isn’t just important—it’s essential. Â
To address this, hospitals are turning to mobile duress systems that can provide continuous protection regardless of location. Unlike fixed alarms, mobile duress systems allow healthcare workers to call for help instantly, ensuring responders can locate them—even if they are on the move.Â
This article provides a summary of a comprehensive analysis of the efficacy of Reach Duress at Maitland Hospital. Access the full whitepaper here.Â
How Maitland Hospital is leading the way
The New Maitland Hospital, a 339-bed facility in New South Wales, Australia, opened in January 2022 and has quickly become a leader in staff safety innovation. With over 54,000 Emergency Department visits annually, ensuring a safe work environment for healthcare professionals is a top priority.Â
That same year, Concentric Care Reach Duress was implemented across the hospital, modernising staff safety in line with the hospital’s new $470m redevelopment. This upgrade ensures the highest level of care and safety possible for the people of the lower Hunter Valley and beyond. Â
Key Features of Reach Duress
Precise location tracking: using Bluetooth-based positioning for indoor tracking and GPS for outdoor useÂ
Automatic alerts: when a duress event is triggered, response teams will receive immediate alerts to their mobile devices and when the location of the duress event changesÂ
Staff-down functionality: automatically triggers an alarm after 15 seconds if a staff member is knocked down or falls Â
Seamless integration with Reach Messaging: real-time push notifications and audio conferencing connect responders immediately, allowing immediate updates of the situation for fast decision makingÂ
Results: Safer Care Environment for All
Between July 2023 and June 2024, Maitland Hospital recorded 5,649 Code Black incidents – emergency situations involving personal threats or aggression.Â
- 5,386 of these alerts were triggered using the Reach Duress functionality on clinical staff mobile devicesÂ
- Remainder alerts initiated via fixed duress stations or calls to switchboardÂ
- The median response time to stand down incidents was just 37 seconds due to seamless integration with Reach MessagingÂ
This rapid response capability ensures staff remain connected, fostering a safer and more supportive and protective healthcare environment. Alongside room-level location tracking accuracy, the right personnel are quickly directed to the scene to de-escalate, resulting in shortest possible resolution time to incidents raised.Â
The Future of Staff Safety in Healthcare
The successful implementation of Reach Duress at Maitland Hospital sets a new benchmark for hospitals nationwide. As occupational violence in healthcare continues to rise, investing in mobile duress technology is no longer an option but a necessity.Â
By equipping healthcare workers with instant protection and precise location tracking technology, hospitals can enhance staff well-being and empower staff to deliver care with confidence, knowing their safety is a priority. This, in turn, results in better patient care.Â
Learn more about our Concentric Care Reach critical communication and duress solution.Â
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