NZ-developed paging solution goes live in North Shore and Waitakere Hospitals

New Zealand-based software developer Oncall Systems has gone live with the Orderly module of its clinical messaging technology, Smartpage, at North Shore and Waitakere Hospitals, in Auckland.

Oncall Systems is currently the subject of a definitive acquisition agreement with Adelaide-based clinical software developer Alcidion.

Alcidion announced in December 2017 that it had entered into a binding agreement to acquire Oncall Systems, following an initial reseller agreement entered into by the parties in May 2017 and the successful tender of a three-year supply agreement of an integrated Miya Smartpage solution to Monash Health in October 2017.

Smartpage is comprised of three software modules, for clinical, orderly and emergency staff messaging and task management, delivered via the cloud.

Smartpage Orderly allows e-ordering of patient transfers and orderly tasks, with over 99% of patient transfers ordered electronically, and immediate dispatching to orderly staff via smartphones.

The rapid adoption of Smartpage's Orderly module at a site with the scale of North Shore Hospital is a significant milestone for Oncall and evidence of Smartpage's ability to produce quick results in large hospital settings.

North Shore and Waitakere hospitals form part of Waitemata District Health Board, which provides services to approximately 560,000 residents in the northern part of Auckland.

The two hospitals have approximately 680 surgical and general medical beds.

Alcidion chairman and CEO Ray Blight says, "The successful roll-out and quick uptake of the Smartpage Orderly module at Auckland's North Shore hospital demonstrate to us the business potential and strategic rationale of the Oncall acquisition.

"Based on the customer response from these sessions, we believe our integrated offering is a differentiated product with significant market opportunities, especially given the increasing demand for reliable and proven technology-based communication solutions in the hospital and healthcare setting as hospitals increasingly move away from legacy technology, such as radio paging.

The Smartpage Orderly module has been installed across all of North Shore and Waitakere hospital's departments and wards, including radiology, medical records, and emergency departments, taking over all patient transfers, external transits, and equipment movements.

In addition to orderly movements, Smartpage integrates a transit care and nurse interface to greatly improve team coordination.

Importantly, the hospitals previous legacy communication system was discontinued within three days of Smartpage going live, indicative of Smartpage's ease of installation, user functionality and reliability.

In its first week of use at North Shore, Smartpage Orderly has effectively and reliably communicated over 10,000 tasks, across a workforce of 76 orderlies and 610 nurses, with a high level of visibility, accuracy and speed.

Dr Aidan Gill Oncall founder and chief executive officer says, "I am pleased to see the successful growth of Smartpage across the Australia-New Zealand market. I founded Oncall with a vision to improve the care and safety of hospital patients. I am proud that Smartpage is delivering on these requirements and, with Alcidion's backing, is rapidly gaining market penetration".

It is expected that Alcidion will complete the acquisition of Oncall within the next two months.