Why do doctors still use pagers? | Planet Money

Intro

In this episode of “Planet Money,” the team explores why doctors still use pagers despite the prevalence of cell phones and modern communication technology. They delve into the challenges and resistance faced when attempting to replace pagers with a more efficient communication system. The episode highlights the complexities of technology adoption and its impact on power dynamics and patient care.

Main Takeaways

The Persistence of Pagers in the Medical Field

• Pagers are still used by doctors in hospitals to summon them when their help is needed.
• Pagers used to be popular among business people and drug dealers, but the rise of cell phones made them obsolete.
• Despite the prevalence of cell phones, doctors are among the only people who still use pagers.

Challenges and Inefficiencies of Pagers

• In the ER, contacting specialists like dermatologists, trauma surgeons, and infectious disease specialists was done through pagers, leading to communication challenges and uncertainty about the urgency of the situation.
• Pagers were also problematic for doctors in other departments, especially for junior doctors who had to manage multiple pagers, causing inefficiency and potential patient care issues.
• The slow and inefficient paging system was identified as a factor contributing to delays in patient treatment.

The Quest for a More Efficient Communication System

• Despite the reliability and widespread use of pagers, the need for a more efficient communication system, such as encrypted text messaging, was recognized, prompting a pilot program to test a new texting app for doctors.
• Mary and Toff aimed to replace pagers at the hospital with a new app to improve patient care and reduce wait times.
• The new app allowed doctors to send secure messages and photos, leading to quicker responses and improved patient care.

Resistance to Change and Power Dynamics

• Some doctors were resistant to the new system, preferring the traditional pager method.
• Adoption of new technology can impact one’s identity and how they perceive their role.
• In every workplace, there’s a hierarchy of power, and a new technology can change who in an organization has power.

Summary

The Persistence of Pagers in the Medical Field

Despite the rise of cell phones and modern communication technology, doctors in hospitals continue to rely on pagers. While pagers were once popular among business people and drug dealers, they became obsolete with the advent of cell phones. However, doctors have unique reasons for still using pagers, which will be explored further in this episode.

Challenges and Inefficiencies of Pagers

In the emergency room (ER), pagers are used to contact specialists like dermatologists, trauma surgeons, and infectious disease specialists. However, this reliance on pagers leads to communication challenges and uncertainty about the urgency of the situation. In other departments, such as junior doctors managing multiple pagers, inefficiency and potential patient care issues arise. The slow and inefficient paging system also contributes to delays in patient treatment.

The Quest for a More Efficient Communication System

Recognizing the need for a more efficient communication system, a pilot program was initiated to test a new texting app for doctors. The goal was to replace pagers with this app, which allowed doctors to send secure messages and photos. The app proved to be effective, leading to quicker responses and improved patient care. It successfully reduced patient wait times and received positive feedback from many doctors and staff.

Resistance to Change and Power Dynamics

Despite the benefits of the new texting app, some doctors were resistant to change and preferred the traditional pager method. The adoption of new technology can impact one’s identity and how they perceive their role. Additionally, power dynamics within the medical field play a role in the resistance to change. Junior doctors, who have less power in the hierarchy, were on call to respond to messages and photos from ER doctors.

Conclusion

The episode highlights the challenges faced when attempting to replace seemingly obsolete technologies like pagers in the medical field. It emphasizes the complexities of technology adoption, including resistance to change, power dynamics, and the impact on patient care. While new communication tools can offer benefits, they also come with risks and challenges that need to be carefully considered and addressed.