Today modern hospitals face a wide variety of challenges ranging from rising workforce cost to data management. Digital tools like the CC1 are developed to reduce administrative and repetitive work, to improve safety and help healthcare staff to focus on patient care and communication.
Infrafon aims to build a platform where independent software vendors and IT integrators can work together to deliver a product system, that fits the needs of individual organizations and helps them to overcome the modern healthcare challenges. The product ecosystem is constantly evolving and growing together with a network of partners all over the world.
In a healthcare setting there are two important concerns. The first one regarding privacy and data security. The solution by Infrafon makes the case for a closed of system, where sensible information stays on the facility/organization backend, while mobile devices and data transfer are seen as a potential security risk. The CC1 meets those challenges by being an organization operated device, applications and application data is stored on the backend server infrastructure, only data views are sent to mobile devices. End-user control is limited and communication between the device and the backend system is restricted to a structured REST-API dialog. This dialog uses chip level encryption with the NXP secure element 050 edge lock (EAL6+ certified), CL/MIFARE/Wi-Fi credentials and key storage secured by blockchain.
The other important concern is accessibility: With the CC1, Infrafon aims to deliver a slimmed down device using style congruent and simplified data view tasks to make dialog interaction simple and effective. These simplified data views can easily be transformed into audio messages for vision impaired staff.
The check-in process automation and the indoor localization feature, open up a whole new perspective on work time evaluation and shift data recording.
Nurse Wilson arrives for her early shift, starting in 5 minutes. She checks in with her Staff ID, enters her confirmation key on the number pad and takes her CC1 device, giving her all the access tokens, she needs for the elevator, security doors and medicine storage.
While she is working her shift, her movement profile is logged and can be used for payroll confirmation. To protect her privacy, while she uses the bathroom or stays in the recreational areas, geofencing prohibits movement tracking. When her shifts ends, she checks out, leaving her CC1 device at the check-in.
Staff check in requires a form of authentication; the scanned information of the ID card is checked with the hospital’s active directory staff data. The entered pin number confirms the claimed identity. While the CC1 device is initialized with the required RFID tokens, the kiosk loges the arrival time into the hospital staff time database. During the use of the device, it sends out a BLE signal which is detected by the multiple BLE sensors inside the building, sent via the Wi-Fi Network to the backend Infrafon server, where this data is used with the WT-Consulting SAS localization algorithm to locate the device and log the movement profile. Geofencing is used to block certain areas to comply with user privacy. When the device is brought back to the kiosk, the staff member is checked out and a full shift documentation is ready to be used to create the payroll document.
Many hospitals are still operating on analog paging systems, with minimal functionality: Via a stationary Interface a pager number is called, the respective pager beeps and displays the caller’s number.Alarm fatigue is a serious issue, whereby staff is overloaded by alarm signals and becomes desensitized to important calls. With the CC1 used as a digital pager communication becomes interactive and intelligently selective.
Nurse Wilson needs an orthopedic surgeon asap in the operation room on the second floor in her wing. She logs into the web interface, filters for orthopedic Surgeons and sets the location. Surgeon Davies on the right floor receives the message on his device, she has an upcoming operation in a few minutes, so she chooses the decline option on the touch display. The message is routed further to surgeon Brown on the other side of the building, he accepts the request and nurse Wilson is informed about the result.
The basic beeping via a stationary interface (e.g., Cisco connection) is emulated in the Infrafon system. Additional there is a web interface, where you can log in on desktop or mobile and message either the desired CC1 pager directly with the pager number/name or you can filter by location and/or by roll. Through geolocation via WT-Consulting SAS BLE localization (indoor) or GNSS (outdoor) and the connection to the hospital’s active directory every desired staff member in service can be localized and messaged. Receiving the message on the CC1 works in multiple steps: First, a webhook routes the message data to the Infrafon entity server, there it gets converted into a CC1 readable JSON file. The CC1 is subscribed to the respective channel and in a set time interval the CC1 does a lookup for pending messages via the hospitals LoRa network. (LoRa is a low power, long range wireless network built for IoT applications) If there is a message, the device logs into the Wi-Fi and downloads it. The user is then notified by a blinking LED / message sound and the message is displayed on the screen with a set of pre-defined replies. Which are sent back using MQTT protocol again. All communication between the device and the backend server is end-to-end encrypted by the NXP SE050.
Dr. Andrews would like to go to lunch with his colleague Dr. Evans, he knows Evans is in an operation procedure and will not be available until noon. From his desktop or phone, he can use a web interface or application from his preferred messenger and choose to send the message to the Infrafon of Dr. Evans. With the message he has the options to give pre-defined answers. So e.g., he asks “Do you wanna go for lunch?” with the options *No*, *Cafeteria* or *Eric’s Pizzaplace*. This way it will be very easy for Dr. Evans to answer, even in between of medical procedures.
Messaging works very similar to paging. The preferred messaging service, like Netsfere or Trustner messenger, will be extended with a plugin, so CC1 devices can be selected. If a device is selected, a CC1 specific mask will be applied. The message data is transmitted to the Infrafon entity server (using webhook), where a data view (JSON file) is created. The MQTT Server announces a message to the CC1, which performs an interval LoRa lookup and switches to Wi-Fi if to download the JSON file. The device then, via audio or haptic feedback, informs the user about the message. As soon as the messenger data view is opened it displays the message on the touch screen, with the answer options beneath. The device sends back a reading confirmation, which is then displayed as a double mark on the message author side. Like the selected answer, this can also be rerouted to the authors CC1 device.
Many hospitals use a variety of payment methods for vending machines, coffee dispensers and the cafeteria. A digital “all in one” tool can help simplifying these processes.
Dr. Richard and his colleague Dr. Phillips are going for a coffee in the cafeteria, they both simply pay contactless with their CC1 device.
With the passive RFID chip (NXP NTP5210, certification ID 58626), payment with the device, works like contactless card payment, replacing the physical card of Systems like CashCard.
Access to medication storage and medical equipment should be restricted, and often it is required that only certain staff members e.g. only those who are in service at the respective station, have access to the medication storage and equipment.
Nurse Wilson is the night nurse, after check-in she uses her device to open doors, to get to station 4 where her shift starts. To get the pain medication for Ms. Wallace, she taps her device on the lock panel to open the medication storage.
When checking in, the user is automatically registered and verified for the respective shift using the active directory data API. The temporary access tokens for the respective station are downloaded on her CC1 and can be updated OTA, using internal, encrypted connection via LoRa / Wi-Fi. When using the device to open the NFC lock, the device automatically sends a notification with information about who and which lock was opened to the backend via LoRa, where it can be stored in a database.
