Points clés à retenir
- Emergencies like Code Orange require rapid access to up-to-date information on physicians availability for effective care delivery.
- Digital on-call schedules transform emergency response with centralized, real-time access to physician availability.
- Preparedness starts before the crisis as hospitals adopt data-driven scheduling platforms that are better equipped to manage tomorrow’s emergencies.
In an emergency, saving time means saving lives. In a Code Orange scenario, where mass casualties overwhelm hospital resources, decisions must be made in real time and delays in mobilizing physicians costs patients. The difference between chaos and control often comes down to one thing: how quickly your team can access accurate, up-to-date information—and act on it.
Digital schedules for physicians and on-call staff are decisive in reducing emergency communication time between providers.
To respond effectively to a Code Orange, hospital staff must quickly organize themselves to meet patients, regardless of the workloads elsewhere in the healthcare facility. Rapid access to up-to-date information on physicians and care provider availability, plus their contact information becomes vitally important for both hospital staff and patients.
In these moments, physicians and frontline staff should focus on existing, newly arrived, and incoming patients. Messaging through outdated technology, such as through pagers, and physical scheduling management, such as through Excel, pull respondents’ attention from their patients.
Making changes today to ensure readiness tomorrow is critical.
Preparation is key during a Code Orange
Being well prepared for a Code Orange greatly impacts the lives of patients in critical situations. This is why health organizations join forces to form Code Orange simulations.
An example of this is when the McGill University Health Centre, the Montréal Children’s Hospital, and Sacré-Coeur-de-Montréal Hospital organized a Code Orange simulation to respond to the following fictional scenario: a driver runs into a crowd and then fires shots at civilians. Around twenty mock pediatric patients participated in the exercise.
Montréal saw similar training in recent years. Healthcare teams enacted the following: an explosion in the Metro, a massive contamination, and a plane crash. Each scenario involved dozens of fake victims and supporting local organizations, such as the Canadian Armed Forces, Sûreté du Québec, and Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
These are encouraging signs as municipalities fund emergency communication preparedness for disaster situations. At the same time, there must be a coordinated digital solution to support an effective level of preparedness.
Bus accident at Hawkesbury: How digital schedules aided management response
Now, let’s review a real-world example of prepared staff using digital schedules to save lives.
In October 2018, a school bus accident in Hawkesbury, ON triggered a Code Orange. Staff at Hawkesbury General Hospital learned they would receive 25 children who were injured or in shock within 15 minutes. To effectively manage the situation, the hospital’s Director of Professional Services (DPS) had to know which physicians were available, where they were, and how to contact them quickly.
In response, Hawkesbury General Hospital’s digital physician on-call schedules played a decisive role in managing the crisis efficiently.
By using a centralized, data-driven health platform, the Director of Professional Services (DPS) could:
- Access critical information instantly from a mobile device, including real-time physician availability and contact details.
- Communicate rapidly with on-call physicians across departments.
- Mobilize resources quickly, with more than a dozen physicians on site in less than 20 minutes, ready to help injured children.
In contrast, a paper-based management system would have:
- Slowed communication and delayed response times.
- Scattered essential information across multiple services and documents.
- Increased the risk of confusion during high-pressure situations.
Leaders’ proactive decision to adopt a data-driven health platform simplified emergency communication and ensured readiness. Their prior investment in digital schedules saved time, improved coordination, and ultimately protected lives.
A data-driven health platform liberated physicians and frontline staff to spend more time with patients and less time organizing each other. In this case, children were more effectively supported through the hospital’s preparedness.
How digitization of on-call schedules leads to better management
Digitizing on-call schedules isn’t just about convenience. It means the difference when having all hands-on deck is essential. When schedules are centralized and accessible on any device, the ability for hospitals to mobilize physicians in minutes is a lifesaver.
Petal On-Call Management makes this possible. Our platform delivers real-time visibility into on-call lists across departments and sites, plus a secure provider directory with customizable communication preferences. The result? Seamless coordination, even in the most chaotic situations.
Effective emergency communication begins before the emergency occurs. Digital schedules are a vital component to effective preparation.
Digitize your workflow to be prepared if crisis strikes
