Facilitating Teamwork With Minimal Interaction via a Mesh-Based Communication Device in a Clinical Nursing Setting:...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Health Information Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Traditional nurse call systems present communication inefficiencies, increasing staff workload and potentially impacting patient care.
• Effective nurse communication and teamwork are crucial for preventing medical errors.
• Digital health technologies require evaluation for their impact on nursing workflows and staff workload.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess a smartphone application utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Mesh signal communication for improving nurse-to-nurse communication.
• To determine if the app could decrease response times for nursing tasks.
• To evaluate the impact on teamwork, specifically Situation Monitoring and Mutual Support, using the TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire (T-TPQ).

Main Methods:

• An interventional study was conducted on an acute care ward, comparing 3 intervention days (BLE Mesh app use) with 3 nonintervention days.
• Thirty nurses participated in a between-subjects design, with response times tracked and T-TPQ administered post-shift.
• Data analysis included Mann-Whitney U tests and assessment of post hoc power to ensure result interpretability.

Main Results:

• The BLE Mesh app reduced median response duration from 38.5 seconds to 19.5 seconds (P<.001).
• Significant improvements were observed in Situation Monitoring (3.04 vs 3.39; P=.001) and Mutual Support (3.01 vs 3.31; P=.003) via T-TPQ.
• The technology effectively reduced delays in confirming actions, searching for items, and requesting assistance.

Conclusions:

• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Mesh technology effectively reduces communication delays, leading to shorter nurse response times.
• The app enhances team performance by improving Situation Monitoring and Mutual Support among nursing staff.
• This digital health solution offers functional benefits that improve nursing communication and contribute to superior team-based care outcomes.