1. Evaluation of an Integrated Hands-
Free Communications System in
Residential Aged Care
Based on Research for Samarinda Aged Services,
Melbourne, Australia
David Brous - Impact Consulting Group
IFA 11th Global Conference on Ageing May 2012

2. Project Objectives
 To evaluate the benefits of an integrated hands-free
communications system in a residential aged care environment
 Co-funded by Samarinda Lodge and IBM Australia Limited
 The views expressed in this study are not necessarily those held
by Samarinda Lodge nor IBM Australia Limited, IBM
Corporation, Vocera Communications Inc or affiliates.
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3. Approach to the workplace environment
 Identify the current communications system and its component
features
 Assess the direct and indirect changes in
 workforce practice & procedures
 resident satisfaction
 quality of service outcomes
 Specify required capital investment and the return
 Analyse recurrent costs and benefits
 Identify potential financial and reputational benefits to Samarinda
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4. The Samarinda Context
 Samarinda Lodge is a not-for-profit residential facility in
Melbourne
 40 residents
 75 permanent, part time and casual staff
 Clinical and auxiliary staff contribute to resident care
 Many messages pass between staff during a working day
 Residents can wait for 5-10 minutes for care staff to respond to
their calls
 Resulting anxiety, particularly for dementia residents, can lead
staff to waiting additional time settling the resident
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5. Vocera
 Vocera is a wireless voice-activated communications device,
worn as a badge, supported by Cisco communications
infrastructure
Qu ic k T im e ™ a nd a
de c om pre s s o r
are ne ede d to s ee thi s pi c ture.
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6. Implementation at Samarinda
 Three stage implementation over a year
 installing a wireless network, with a server to support the
communications software and carry data to laptops on mobile
trolleys used by nurses, doctors and allied health professionals to
record and access all resident clinical information
 integrating an Internet Protocol (IP) based telephony system for
residents and staff, transmitting voice and other information over a
data network
 integration of the nurse call system into the wireless
communications badge and the telephone system
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7. Communication
 Seamless & hands free, enabling every staff member to speak to
anyone at any time without interrupting care tasks
 Resident telephones are hands free
 automatic answering on the speaker, from calls on a Vocera badge
 a resident a few metres from the phone can be heard and given
reassurance and instruction before support arrives
 Resident locations are identified on the Vocera screen
 3 fixed wireless call points in rooms and throughout common areas
 residents wear a call bell on a lanyard
 medical and other equipment are tagged for quick access
 monitoring of fire panels, door alarms and resident ‘restraint’ beams and
pressure mats
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8. Time and Motion at Samarinda
 Time-and-motion studies were conducted by the Centre for Health
Innovation to analyse
 staff workflow patterns
 the time spent by staff upon various tasks
 communication lines between individual staff members and groups
 how staff members interacted with each other
 In total, staff spent more than two hours per shift communicating with
other staff and residents
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9. Resident Perceptions at Samarinda
 Residents supported the system
 it met their immediate needs for personal and social support
 familiarity with call by buttons by cognitive residents
 use of hand free phones was readily adopted
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10. Staff Perceptions at Samarinda
 Staff supported the system
 increases staff retention, with greater feelings of achievement in outcomes
for residents
 lessens the need to recruit new staff to take up expanded functions due to
productivity savings
 preferred to the traditional methods of ‘walking the corridors’ in search of
assistance and equipment
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11. Samarinda’s Investment
 Expenditure totalled $225,300 (2009 $A) or c.166,000 euros
 server and rack
 wireless access
 Vocera hardware
 telephony
 nurse call system
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12. Operational Return to Samarinda
 Rostering
 total weekly hours increased due to increased administration and service
requirements
 changes in rostered hours cannot be attributed to he introduction of Vocera
 Tasking
 communication between staff reduced
 16 per cent of total minutes (147) to 6 per cent (56)
 walking between tasks reduced
 10 per cent of total minutes (89) to 4 per cent (43)
 time spent on resident care increased
 51 per cent of total minutes (476) to 68 per cent (634)
 Increase in direct time devoted to care of residents of 33.2 per cent
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13. Financial Return to Samarinda
 Average costs of staff include penalty payments and overtime but not
superannuation or worker’s compensation insurance
 Estimated annual return was $298,000 (c.220,000 euros) compared to
a capital outlay of $225,300 (A$ 2009) (c.166,000 euros)
Qu i c k Ti m e ™ a n d a
d e c o m p re s s o r
a r e n e e d e d to s e e th i s p i c tu re .
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14. Samarinda Outcomes 1
 Substantial savings in daily clinical hours redirected into resident care
 Improved documentation accuracy through immediate message transfer
and data recording
 Reduced staff frustration in waiting and searching for people or
resources
 Improved staff morale
 Potential improvements in staff productivity
 Reduced resident anxiety and resulting behaviours
 Triaging of nurse calls and improved responses to resident care needs
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15. Samarinda Outcomes 2
 More appropriate and timely responses and management of
emergencies
 Improved resident security through the ability to locate individuals
 Increased accurate monitoring and reporting of resident behaviours and
production of documentation to improve funding from the Australian
Government appropriate to the resident care need profile
 A potential return on investment arising from the facility becoming a
telephone service provider
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16. Lessons for the Future
 The optimal path for communications technology is integrate during the
building phase rather than retrofitting infrastructure
 Prospects to achieve strong efficiencies in the delivery of direct and
indirect care services in larger and more complex care environments
are enticing, but need to be tested
 Elimination of non productive activities
 enhances productivity
 improves effectiveness of staff
 improves care outcomes for residents
 Articulation of Vocera with clinical, financial staffing, security systems
can support greater automation of operations
 digital transcription of clinical records
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17. Download the Evaluation
 www-935.ibm.com/services/au/igs/vocera/index.html
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18. In 2007, Samarinda received the ITAC award for the
implementation of the year and the Aged Care Association
of Australia national management award for the
facility/team of the year
Impact Consulting Group
Suite 102E, 282 - 284 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
0419 132 520
impact@c031.aone.net.au
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