Medcom Partners with Akita University to Enhance Nursing Efficiency Using Smartphones

Transforming Nursing Work Through Technology

In a significant move towards modernizing healthcare, Medcom, based in Koto City, Tokyo, has announced a strategic partnership with Akita University's Graduate School of Medicine to study the impact of smartphone technology on the workload of hospital nurses. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance operational efficiency and improve job satisfaction in the healthcare sector.

Overview of the Study

The core of this collaboration involves a comparative research study titled, "Evaluation of the Effects of Introducing Smartphones on Workload Reduction for Ward Nurses." Scheduled to run until March 31, 2028, the research aims to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the outcomes of integrating dedicated smartphones designed for medical institutions.

Research Goals

1. Assessment of Burden Reduction: The study will evaluate whether the introduction of the Medcom smartphone alleviates both the temporal and psychological burdens faced by nurses, thereby improving time efficiency and allowing for greater job satisfaction.
2. Optimization Opportunities: The findings are expected to provide insights for rethinking the design of ward operations and personnel allocation, leveraging Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and digital transformation (DX).

Background and Purpose

Recent reports have highlighted the excessive workloads and frequent communication demands placed on healthcare professionals, leading to increased psychological stress and decreased job satisfaction. Traditional communication tools, such as PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) and landlines, have contributed to workflow interruptions and fragmented information transfer, negatively affecting nurses' efficiency and mental load.

In contrast, the reform in doctors' workloads and ongoing efforts towards medical DX have prompted interest in the potential benefits of ICT tools, like smartphones, to uplift operational efficiencies and enhance staff satisfaction. However, past initiatives have primarily relied on individual case reports lacking comprehensive quantitative analysis.

The current study seeks to bridge this gap by comparing workloads involving traditional phone systems with those using Medcom smartphones, focusing on the time nurses spend on communication and their overall work burdens.

About Medcom's Smartphone

The Medcom smartphone is engineered to create a secure ICT platform for healthcare, with the vision to digitally transform medical environments across Japan. It integrates essential features for medical professionals, such as:

- Nurse call system
- Electronic medical record integration
- Group chat capabilities
- Emergency alarms
- Remote terminal management

Utilizing a dedicated line, Medcom ensures high-security levels to facilitate safe and efficient operations within healthcare settings, serving as a robust tool substituting outdated PHS systems.

By advancing digitalization, Medcom aims to play a pivotal role in supporting hospitals' DX initiatives, thereby enhancing operational workflows and improving healthcare outcomes.