Vocera Communications on Thursday announced its acquisition of San Diego-based PatientSafe Solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

WHY IT MATTERS
PatientSafe's technology is able to combine nurse call notifications, secure messages, voice calls and other alerts from the electronic health record – helping providers better manage workflows within a single smartphone app.

Its cloud-ready tools are designed for the specific care delivery needs of regional health systems and small to midsize healthcare facilities. Its technology easily integrates with EHRs and other clinical IT systems to enable more patient-centered workflows.

Contextual information (patient ID, specimen collection, fall risk assessments and clinician documentation) helps clinicians and care team members with real-time decisions for more effective care.

Its digital checklists display real-time patient data and care team assignments that can boost efficiency and save time. Two-way communication with the EHR enables documentation directly from the app, and allows end users to schedule and conduct patient rounds, assign care team members and track compliance, Vocera notes.

THE LARGER TREND
Healthcare IT News Features Editor Bill Siwicki has written numerous stories about how Vocera technology has been put to work in healthcare settings.

At Lehigh Valley Health Network, the Vocera Ease patient messaging app has improved communications between care teams and patients' loved ones during surgeries, and 95% percent of users noted a positive experience.

At Health First, the app helped boost the Florida health system's OAS CAHPS scores.

ON THE RECORD
"This acquisition positions us well to extend our reach into small and mid-size hospitals with a simple-to-deploy and easy-to-use solution," said Vocera CEO Brent Lang in a statement.

"We anticipate this transaction will also accelerate our evolution to the cloud and provide opportunities to strengthen key relationships, extending our communication and collaboration solutions to support more frontline workers across the continuum of care."

"With Vocera's robust salesforce and clinical approach to designing and deploying solutions, we can reach more healthcare organizations and advance our shared mission of improving the safety and well-being of patients and care teams," added PatientSafe CEO Si Luo.

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.