Communication plays a fundamental role in healthcare. Timely dissemination and sharing of information is critical for acute care providers. Similarly, primary health care can be easily managed through the use of practical and practical communication channels. However, there are several factors that must be considered before deciding on an effective mode of communication in primary and acute care facilities. The reliability, coverage and confidentiality of the information transmitted, together with the institution’s ability to manage the equipment, play an important role. Healthcare institutions can greatly benefit from a mobile clinical staff, and two-way radios can provide prolific results if used effectively to share information.

Two-way radio construction and functionality

Two-way radios only allow one function at a time: receive or send the signal. This helps users to communicate efficiently without interrupting the interlocutor. These devices are useful for exchanging crisp information, rather than constant communication. Two-way radios are also known as transceivers or walkie talkies.

Two-way radios are simple devices composed mainly of six components: power supply, receiver, transmitter, microphone, speaker, and crystal. This implies that the operating and maintenance costs of these devices are not too high. Two or more communication devices operate on the same radio frequency and a push-to-talk button switches the device between receive and transmit modes.

Primary health care and its challenges

There is a growing emphasis on offering primary health care to all. This requires creating an environment in which the same emphasis is placed on health care for all people. However, the shortage of trained physicians poses a serious threat to achieving this goal. Medical planners must focus on using technology to make the most of available resources.

Patient isolation is a major problem that arises in primary health care. Patients in need of medical care are often dispersed, especially in rural areas, and may not have access to medical facilities. The provision of medicines and medical tests are difficult to carry out and this contradicts the very objective of primary health care. Lack of communication is another major problem in the administration of primary health care.

A rapid exchange of information offers a suitable solution to face all these challenges. Two-way radios allow the exchange of crucial medical information and the graduation of current medical practices. The absence of advanced technologies in many places also increases the importance of two-way radio communication devices.

Use of two-way radios in primary health care settings

The most important use of two-way radio to provide primary medical care is to connect local doctors with hospitals in cities and more advanced areas. This is critical for diagnosing a patient, as well as for prescriptive purposes. A timely decision on whether the patient should be referred to a hospital with advanced facilities can be crucial to saving lives. The hospital can also monitor a patient’s condition elsewhere via two-way radios.

The degree of implementation of two-way radio technology for primary health care will depend on medical and health protocols. Doctors in some countries contact health aides and monitor the patient’s situation through the use of two-way radios. The medical makeup of a community and country determines how effectively two-way radio can be used for primary health care.

Emergency situations can also be addressed through the use of two-way radio. Lack of good transportation and communication facilities can endanger a community in the event of a medical emergency. Two-way radios can be used to send news of such medical requirements to hospitals or central district offices and help save many lives.

In some countries, two-way radios are used to connect field workers with doctors who are on the move. The use of airplanes helps to attend to critical patients in a very short time as soon as the news is delivered via two-way radios.

Two-way radios can also help train field workers who play an important role in primary health care. It depends on the existing level of competence of the medical workers and the desired levels of training. In addition, field workers can listen to the conversation of co-workers with doctors and learn by observing the standard medical practices adopted in different cases.

Use of two-way radios in acute healthcare settings

Clinical information in a hospital can be shared with the help of two-way radios. A mobile unit of clinical staff will be more efficient in dealing with the day-to-day problems faced by patients and in specific cases where a patient requires immediate attention. A patient undergoing complicated heart surgery may require constant monitoring for a few hours after the operation. However, the doctor who operated on the patient may not be by your side all the time. Two-way radios can be a useful solution to help healthcare institutions solve critical operational problems. A nurse attending the operated patient can inform the doctor about the patient’s progress or if the patient needs immediate attention, using two-way radios. This will not only update the doctor on the patient’s condition, but will also help them make immediate decisions based on available input. The healthcare industry has successfully tested and used two-way radios for acute medical care. Hospitals make extensive use of two-way radios for the exchange of information between healthcare workers.

Two-way radios: advantages

Two-way radios provide a cost-effective means of instant communication. The healthcare industry requires a rapid and extensive exchange of information in the most cost-effective and efficient manner. A large healthcare institution can be integrated into the field of wireless radio communications without incurring high costs. In addition, radio signals are quite reliable compared to mobile networks, where you must depend on the power and connectivity of the network. Also, interference problems do not arise frequently. The maintenance costs of these devices are also considerably low.

Two-Way Radios – Standard Operating Practices

Some of the standard practices that are followed for the use of two-way radios in health institutions are:

• The devices are used in “receive only” mode in patient areas.

• Medical personnel are advised to leave the patient area if the device is to be used for outgoing communications.

• Two-way radios should be kept away from high-energy medical devices.

• The lowest possible setting should be used to avoid any interference if the device allows it.

• In the event of a malfunction of any medical equipment, the use of radio devices should be stopped immediately.

• Unnecessary use of two-way radios can distract the physician during surgery. Therefore, such devices should be used only when necessary to avoid delays in patient care.

• Using Two-Way Radio Systems: Interference and Other Problems

Two-way radios generally do not interfere with other medical equipment. Research studies have shown that hospitals can safely use two-way radios for communication purposes. These devices can be used safely within 0.5 meters of most medical equipment. The reason is that these devices operate at high frequencies and do not cause interference. However, the use of two-way radios is discouraged in highly sensitive medical settings such as the ICU.

Some of the other problems with two-way radio systems include problems such as poor maintenance, lack of power, unavailability of spare parts, and poor training of medical personnel regarding the use of these devices. Any compromise on device quality can prove disastrous and defeat the entire purpose of setting up two-way radios.

Conclution

Two-way communication systems have been used for more than seventy years in the healthcare field. Even today, with advances in technology, radio systems play a vital role in establishing communication in healthcare institutions. This is because no other technology can adequately address all the needs of healthcare communication: little interference with medical equipment and immediate and uncomplicated communication. This establishes the fact that two-way radios will continue to play an important role for communication in primary and acute medical care, as well as for improving the delivery of medical care services.