Do hospitals still use pagers in 2023?

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Pagers have been a fixture of hospital communication for decades, but with the rise of smartphones and other modern communication technologies, many people have started to question whether hospitals still use pagers in 2023.

The short answer is that while pagers may still be in use in some hospitals, they are becoming increasingly rare and are being replaced by newer technologies. In recent years, hospitals have been adopting a range of communication tools that are more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective than pagers.

One of the main reasons that hospitals are moving away from pagers is that they are limited in their capabilities. Pagers are one-way communication devices, which means that they can only send messages, not receive them. This makes it difficult for hospitals to manage patient care and coordinate staff in real-time. In contrast, smartphones and other modern communication tools allow for two-way communication, which enables hospitals to respond to messages and requests in a timely manner. These devices also allow for the exchange of multimedia messages, such as photos and videos, which can be useful for providing medical guidance or coordinating patient care. These technologies offer a more complete record of communication for documentation and compliance purposes, allow for faster and more efficient communication, and improve communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals. 

Another reason that hospitals are abandoning pagers is that they require a separate network infrastructure, which can be costly to set up and maintain, whereas smartphones and other modern communication devices can use existing wireless networks, which are often less expensive to operate.

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It is important for hospitals to carefully consider their communication needs and choose the tools that best support the care and safety of their patients. With Hypercare’s all-in-one healthcare coordination platform, providers can seamlessly connect with their colleagues through real-time messaging and on-call scheduling via their existing smartphone. Click here to learn more about Hypercare’s two-way, secure communication capabilities.

As the healthcare industry continues to evolve and adopt new technologies, it is likely that pager use will continue to decline in hospitals over the next few years. While pagers may still exist in some facilities in 2023, it is likely that they will be replaced by more advanced and cost-effective communication tools.