A Novel, In-House, Rapid Response Solution to a Critical Supply Crisis Affecting Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Centers Nationwide

Background: Most hospitals have protocols to request helping hands via activation of a Rapid Response Team (RRT) or 'Anesthesia STAT' (AS!) event, where nearby anesthesiologists quickly go to the OR to provide assistance.Many hospitals still rely on antediluvian overhead analog speaker systems, which can be difficult or impossible to hear and are frequently scratchy, garbled, or otherwise unintelligible.Announcements are also prone to user error, hindrance due to lack of training, and missing/ambiguous information. Methods:We used inexpensive ($49) touchscreen mini-computers (Figure 1) running custom software connected to Amazon AWS Cloud to create Call-for-Help! "buttons".When pressed, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud handles the request, determines who is currently in roles that can provide help (QGenda), and sends targeted group text messages directly to provider's phones clearly stating the exact location requesting help.This general purpose intra-departmental paging system can also request equipment/ supplies/ personnel in the OR.A novel Radio Frequency ID (RFID) badge system enables providers to enroll/unenroll from messages.Results: Between October 2022 and July 2023 seven of our devices were deployed in three Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) locations at UNMC to facilitate PACU sign-out requests.The system delivered between ~500 and 1000 text messages per month with no messaging or delivery failures.A follow-up survey was conducted to assess overall user satisfaction with the system (N=19), in which 74% of PACU nurses expected the devices would lead to improved communication when announcing Anesthesia STAT requests, and 90% expected the system would be useful in various hospital paging roles. Conclusion:We present a reliable, flexible, inexpensive, largely scalable paging system to modernize AS! Announcements.A follow-up user satisfaction survey found that 90% of users thought the system would be useful in various hospital paging roles.