Digital transformation in healthcare is about finding smarter ways of working. A prime example of this innovation is using digital platforms to communicate in hospitals, where the speed and efficiency of communication can be the difference between recovery and crisis. Effective communication helps clinicians achieve more by ensuring timely interventions, coordinated care, and ultimately better patient outcomes.
Dr Iqteder Uddin, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, provides a compelling example of the critical role modern communication technologies play in saving lives: “Modern communication tools are a lot of help. I was so busy with this patient, doing lots of things to keep him alive. At the same time, I needed to have critical conversations with three consultants, and ask a critical care consultant to assist. All I need to do now is send messages, then ask them to call me on certain numbers.”
The below is an account of Dr Uddin’s experience using Alertive instead of traditional communication methods to deal with a critical case more effectively
A patient with a history of lung cancer, which had spread to other parts of their body, presented at Dr Uddin’s hospital with severe complications. Despite various treatments, including chemotherapy, the disease continued to progress. The patient was admitted to the emergency department due to symptoms indicating a potentially rapid decline.
A junior physician initially assessed the patient and recognised the gravity of the situation but could not pinpoint the exact cause of the sudden deterioration. Using digital communication tools, the junior physician quickly contacted Dr Uddin, who, upon further examination, discovered that the patient was suffering from a critical condition where fluid accumulates around the heart, compressing it and preventing normal function. “We call this pericardial tamponade”, Dr Uddin explained, “and that is a very acute critical situation where patients can die within minutes if you don’t do something.”
Dr Uddin sent a detailed alert to a cardiologist and an oncologist summarising the patient’s current condition, past medical history, and the urgent need for a consultative review. This prompt communication ensured that all relevant specialists were immediately aware of the critical nature of the situation and could prepare for quick intervention.
Using the digital platform available to them, a meeting with the cardiologist and oncologist was organised. During this real-time discussion, they reviewed the patient’s recent health developments and previous medical decisions, deciding to proceed with an emergency cardiac intervention.
The procedure was a success, significantly alleviating the patient’s symptoms and stabilising their condition. This case highlighted not only the functionality of digital communication tools in emergency situations but also their role in supporting decision-making and patient-centred care. It underscores the utility of such platforms in managing complex scenarios where multiple specialities need to collaborate swiftly to save a life.
In a recent interview, Dr Uddin further highlighted the limitations of traditional methods: “Previously, what would happen was that we would call somebody or bleep. The problem is when you have a sick patient, you should be with the patient. Once you bleep somebody, you wait close to the phone so that someone will call you back or bleep back, and then you can talk—that actually wastes a lot of time.”
Without a modern communication platform, the initial response to the patient’s deteriorating condition would rely heavily on traditional methods. The junior physician would typically need to leave the patient’s side to access a landline or find a pager to contact the necessary specialists, leading to significant delays. Specialists might be engaged with other patients or not immediately available, further complicating timely communication.
Once contact was established, the attending physician would face delays conveying the patient’s complex medical history and current critical state over the phone or through fragmented messages. Vital details could be missed or misunderstood. Gathering all relevant specialists to discuss and agree on a course of action would be time-consuming, potentially worsening the patient’s condition. All of these problems were quickly circumvented by employing a real-time digital communication platform.
Dr. Uddin emphasised, “In the old world, I couldn’t send a message where I could say what the issue was. In this instance, when I sent a message to the cardiology consultant, they could see the case and the number. They could look into the note and see the information I had written down. They could look quickly and call me back, which is a big thing.”
In this specific case, the digital platform allowed for the rapid assembly of a multidisciplinary team. Upon recognising the severity of the patient’s condition, the junior physician could instantly alert Dr Uddin and other specialists, with quick communication enabling Dr Uddin to perform a bedside echocardiogram and identify the life-threatening condition.
The ability to send a detailed alert, including the patient’s medical history and current condition, to both a cardiologist and an oncologist meant that these specialists were immediately prepared to consult on the case. The digital tools facilitated a real-time discussion, allowing the team to review the patient’s history and decide on an emergency intervention within minutes.
By embracing digital transformation, this healthcare team was able to streamline their workflow, reduce delays, and deliver patient-centred care more efficiently. In this instance, the technology was a significant enhancement in saving the patient’s life by ensuring that the right information reached the right people at the right time.
Dr Uddin finished by stating, “I’m pretty sure everybody will tell you that their life is better with this [Alertive].”
