Discreet Alert System for Lone working Health Professionals
This case study explores the deployment of TWIG Neo personal alarm devices within the Municipal Health Service in the Netherlands. The solution was introduced to improve the safety of health service workers operating in hiat Munich refugee centers. The system was introduced to enhance the safety of employees working in high-risk environments, where they often face challenging interactions without immediate support from nearby colleagues.
Overview
The Municipal Health Service provides essential outpatient and consultation services to various communities. However, the challenging nature of these services, which often includes interacting with patients in difficult or aggressive states, has been a growing concern. Field staff and office-based professionals frequently face hostile situations, leading to an unsafe work environment. This situation has manifested in high rates of stress, increased sick leave, and, in extreme cases, employee turnover. To address these issues and safeguard health professionals, the Municipal Health Service in Netherlands required a robust, multipurpose personal safety solution that could be used discreetly in various working environments - from controlled consultation rooms to unpredictable home visits. The solution needed to be adaptable, user-friendly, and reliable to ensure immediate response and precise location tracking.
Challenges
1. Discreet Alarm Activation
Whether in consultation rooms or in patients’ homes, staff needed a device thatcould trigger an alarm without drawing attention, especially during sensitive or potentially volatile interactions.
2. Diverse Working Environments
Health professionals operated in multiple settings, such as:
Consultation Rooms: Needed a reliable and discreet alarm system to alert colleagues and emergency response teams within the facility.
Outpatient Care Visits: Required a means to discreetly trigger an alarm and communicate their exact location to external responders when visiting patients’ homes, especially in complex environments like multi-story apartment buildings.
3. Effective Alarm Follow-up
• Internal Response: The consultation room solution needed to alert on-site colleagues quickly to allow for immediate support.
• External Response: For outpatient visits, the solution required a comprehensive external alarm response system with precise location tracking and voice communication capabilities.
Solution
The solution was crafted by leveraging the expertise of four key partners - TWIG, SOSvolaris, Cuebly and VHD Alarmcentrale - each contributing a unique element to the system.
SOSvolaris is a TWIG partner offering smart mobile alarms and alarm solutions for professionals.
Cuebly is software platform and mobile app for processing and forwarding alarm data.
VHD Alarmcentrale is the 24/7 alarm Response Center enabling the two-way voice communication between the worker and the alarm center.
1. Consultation Room Safety
Device: TWIG Neo personal alarm device
Platform: Cuebly for processing and forwarding alarm data.
Response: Upon alarm activation, the information is sent to available colleagues and Emergency Response Team (ERT) members.
• Alarm data is displayed in real-time on TWIG Neo screens and pushed to the Cuebly mobile app.
• Ensures discreet handling of alarms without disrupting ongoing sessions.
2. Outpatient Care Safety
Device: TWIG Neo with location tracking
Platform: Cuebly for processing alarm data.
Response: Alarm information is sent directly to the VHD24/7 Alarm Response Center, enabling live two-way voice communication between the worker and the alarm center.
• This solution provides external backup when staff are at the patient’s home, ensuring help is just a button press away.
Detailed Location Tracking for Home Visits
• Option 1: Health professionals can leave a voice message via the TWIG Neo device to provide situational context and additional location details
• Option 2: Set a temporary address using any webenabled device to accurately pinpoint location, even in challenging areas like apartment complexes.
Results
The implementation of TWIG Neo, combined with Cuebly software and VHD 24/7 alarm response, delivered a significant boost in safety and peace of mind for the Municipal Health Service employees.
Key outcomes included:
• Improved Safety: Employees felt more secure knowing they had a reliable and discreet safety device at their fingertips, whether in a consultation room or during home visits.
• Decreased Sick Leave: The psychological benefit of enhanced safety reduced stress levels, leading to a noticeable decline in stress-related workplace absence.
• Higher Retention Rates: The organization saw fewer employees leaving their positions due to safety concerns, resulting in more stability and lower recruitment costs.
• Enhanced Emergency Handling: Real-time location tracking and immediate response capabilities improved the effectiveness of incident management, reducing response times significantly.
Conclusion
The Municipal Health Service’s commitment to employee safety was significantly strengthened through the implementation of the TWIG multipurpose personal alarm solution. By leveraging a combination of cutting edge technology, discreet alerting, and 24/7 professional0 response, the service not only enhanced employee safety but also improved overall workplace productivity.
This case study illustrates the critical role that tailored lone worker solutions, like the TWIG Neo, can play in transforming safety outcomes for professionals in highrisk, community-facing roles.