Voice communication device having locating and pairing and other improved badge functionality

A healthcare communication method for a healthcare facility, the healthcare communication method comprising:

• providing a voice communication badge to a caregiver, the voice communication badge including a housing, a controller carried by the housing, a display coupled to the controller and visible to the caregiver, a microphone coupled to the controller and configured to detect the caregiver's spoken commands, a plurality of user inputs carried by the housing, a speaker coupled to the controller and configured to provide audio outputs, a wireless communication module carried by the housing and coupled to the controller, and a location module coupled to the controller, wherein the plurality of user inputs comprises a plurality of buttons carried by the housing and coupled to the controller;
• sending and receiving, with the wireless communication module of the voice communication badge, long range wireless signals and short range wireless signals;
• emitting, with a location module of the voice communication badge, beacon signals that are received by at least one receiver of a real-time locating system (RTLS);
• determining, with a locating computer, a location of the voice communication badge in the healthcare facility based on the beacon signals;
• associating a mobile phone of the caregiver with the voice communication badge;
• using, after the voice communication badge and the mobile phone are associated, the at least one user input to select or alter first information appearing on the display of the voice communication badge which results in also selecting or altering, respectively, second information appearing on the mobile phone, and/or using, after the voice communication badge and the mobile phone are associated, an input field shown on the mobile phone which results in selecting or altering third information appearing on the display of the voice communication badge;
• and
• operating the controller and the wireless module to cooperate to send a control message to a medical device to control a function of the medical device in response to a device voice command received by the microphone or in response to use of one or more of the plurality of buttons to navigate to a device control option on a menu appearing on the display;
• wherein the medical device comprises a patient bed and wherein the control message results in a falls risk protocol of the patient bed being turned on or turned off;
• and
• wherein the falls risk protocol, when turned on, monitors bed status to assure that one or more siderails of the patient bed are in respective raised positions, an upper frame of the patient bed is in a lowered position relative to a base frame of the patient bed, and that a bed exit/patient position monitoring (PPM) system of the patient bed is enabled to determine a position of a patient on the patient bed.

One or more tangible computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that, when executed, cause a healthcare communication system to:

• send from a wireless communication module of a voice communication badge of a caregiver, long range wireless signals and short range wireless signals;
• emit from a location module of the circuitry of the voice communication badge, beacon signals that are received by at least one receiver of a real-time locating system (RTLS);
• determine, with a locating computer, a location of the voice communication badge in the healthcare facility based on the beacon signals;
• associate a mobile phone of the caregiver with the voice communication badge;
• after the voice communication badge and the mobile phone are associated, receive at least one user input at the voice communication badge to select or alter first information appearing on a display of the voice communication badge which results in also selecting or altering, respectively, second information appearing on the mobile phone, and/or, after the voice communication badge and the mobile phone are associated, receive a selection on an input field shown on the mobile phone which results in selecting or altering third information appearing on the display of the voice communication badge;
• and
• operate a controller of the voice communication badge and the wireless communication module to send a control message to a medical device to control a function of the medical device in response to a device voice command received by a microphone of the voice communication badge or in response to use of one or more of a plurality of buttons carried by the housing and coupled to the controller to navigate to a device control option on a menu appearing on the display of the voice communication badge;
• wherein the medical device comprises a patient bed and wherein the control message results in a falls risk protocol of the patient bed being turned on or turned off;
• wherein the falls risk protocol, when turned on, monitors bed status to assure that one or more siderails of the patient bed are in respective raised positions, an upper frame of the patient bed is in a lowered position relative to a base frame of the patient bed, and that a bed exit/patient position monitoring (PPM) system of the patient bed is enabled to determine a position of a patient on the patient bed.