Montélimar Hospital

In France in 2021, more than 34,550 cases of violence were reported against emergency services, an average of 95 cases per day. Across the country, the quality of care provided by emergency services has been severely affected. Faced with this national crisis, it is imperative to act quickly to support healthcare professionals and improve their working conditions. Thanks to the RFiD Discovery Staff Serenity solution, the Groupe Hospitalier Portes de Provence (GHPP) in Montélimar has been able to significantly reduce the number of assaults on its emergency staff.

Challenges

The number of patients in emergency departments has been rising steadily for years. In many hospitals, insufficient staffing levels can lead to very long waiting times, which are often a source of anxiety and aggression for patients and those accompanying them. Like other emergency departments, GHPP had to meet the same challenge. Before installing the RFiD Discovery Staff Serenity solution, GHPP was faced with numerous cases of violence and aggression from of patients and visitors towards the clinical staff on duty. The problem was so big it even became a source of conflict between management and care staff.

The requirements

It was therefore necessary to urgently find a solution that would improve working conditions for staff as well as the quality of patient care. Management and the security department had to find a solution that would meet the following needs:

• Equipping nursing staff with a device capable of guaranteeing greater safety, especially during night shifts
• Enable the hospital's security team to intervene quickly when an attack is reported
• Provide real-time alerts and quick location of the person under threat
• Protect the privacy of users
• Improve working conditions and quality of service

Background

As an existing user of the RFiD Discovery asset tracking system for a number of years, GHPP already benefited from being able to locate medical devices such as infusion pumps and ECG monitors throughout the hospital in real time. Thanks to the successful use of this system, the Montélimar hospital decided to co-develop the Staff Serenity solution together with RFiD Discovery based on the same technology (Bluetooth Mesh). Customer and provider worked hand in hand to add the required functionality.

Juliette Amoros, Nurse at Montélimar Hospital, comments:

"In a closed ward with a risk of aggression, all we have to do now is press our badge and an alert is sent out to the whole ward. This informs all nurses by telephone and sets off a flashing light with sound in the treatment room. It's very reassuring."

How does it work?

Fabien Icard, Security Guard at Montélimar Hospital, said: 

"Thanks to the Staff Serenity system, we have been able to replace the security guard in the addiction recovery unit, while maintaining a rapid way of alerting the security control centre in the event of an attack."

The benefits of using a Staff Safety system in the emergency department at Montélimar Hospital

RFiD Discovery Staff Serenity proved to be the best possible solution in terms of a cost-benefit ratio compared with other available solutions on the market.

Today, GHPP is able to guarantee the safety of its staff in the departments concerned, thereby improving the quality of care provided. Security services are alerted more quickly in the event of an incident, which means that caregivers on duty can work with greater peace of mind. As a result, situations can be quickly brought under control and escalations avoided.