Welcome to Dispatch!

<aside> 👉 This guide will teach you everything you’ll need to use Dispatch as a PSS/Unit Secretary, saving you and your care staff valuable time and energy when managing patient requests.

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Introduction to Dispatch

What is Dispatch?

Dispatch is a communication application that allows you to receive and manage patient requests directly from patients’ bedside tablets. It simplifies your workflow by notifying you of requests in real time on your staff device so that you can respond promptly and efficiently.

While Dispatch doesn’t replace the nurse call button/light, as it has essential safety features, it can fulfill most patient needs.

<aside> <img src="/icons/share_purple.svg" alt="/icons/share_purple.svg" width="40px" /> The patient uses Dispatch on a bedside tablet to select preset needs like "Restroom" or "Too Cold," sending an alert to the appropriate team members' phones.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/save_purple.svg" alt="/icons/save_purple.svg" width="40px" /> Staff can respond through their phones or a tablet at the nurses' station to acknowledge the request and inform the patient about their expected arrival.

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Benefits for PSS/Unit Secretaries

<aside> <img src="/icons/first-aid_purple.svg" alt="/icons/first-aid_purple.svg" width="40px" /> Dispatch was built to save care staff time. We strive to do this by:

• Notifying the appropriate care staff members at the right time, automatically.
• Providing care staff with specific details about a patient request.
• Reducing effort, time, and energy in collecting requests and finding staff to support.
• Allowing you to oversee requests across the unit. </aside>

Improved Experience for Patients

<aside> <img src="/icons/stethoscope_purple.svg" alt="/icons/stethoscope_purple.svg" width="40px" /> For patients, we hope to give them a greater patient experience while at the hospital. See how Dispatch has made a difference for patients already:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5n3efGAGAo

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Dispatch for PSS & Unit Secretaries

Your role is crucial in coordinating patient requests and ensuring efficient communication on the unit. Dispatch enhances your workflow, making it easier to manage and relay patient needs.

The Hub tablet

<aside> <img src="/icons/tablet_purple.svg" alt="/icons/tablet_purple.svg" width="40px" />

You will use an iPad, known as the "Hub Tablet," placed at the nurses' station next to the call light system. This tablet provides a unit overview of all rooms and open requests.

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Monitoring Unit-Wide Requests

<aside> <img src="/icons/binoculars_purple.svg" alt="/icons/binoculars_purple.svg" width="40px" />

The Hub Tablet displays all rooms and their status and will indicate new and outstanding requests across the unit in real-time

• Red rooms indicate open requests (i.e. the request is open and has not been responded to by care staff)
• Blue rooms show acknowledged requests
• Gold rooms signal that the staff member who received the notification has marked themselves unavailable and requires your assistance identifying another staff member to cover the request

After 5 minutes, the tablet will beep to highlight outstanding, unresolved requests that need attention from the care staff. This is your cue to find staff to respond to the request in Dispatch and provide care to the patient.

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Finding Coverage for When a Staff Member Marks Themselves Unavailable

<aside> <img src="/icons/binoculars_purple.svg" alt="/icons/binoculars_purple.svg" width="40px" />

Sometimes a staff member might be busy with another task and unable to respond to a patient request in the foreseeable future. In these cases they can mark themselves unavailable, which will route the request back to the hub tablet and the room card will turn gold.

You can help out your team when someone is unavailable by:

1. Identifying an alternate staff member who is available to cover the request
2. Verbally relaying the request to the new staff member and marking “On My Way” from the hub tablet to let the patient know someone is taking care of their request </aside>