Since February 2022, Sunnfjord and Ytre Sogn Intermunicipal Emergency Service, serving ten municipalities in Norway with approximately 56,000 residents, has been using Bliksund's operational management system, GRID. The implementation of GRID has significantly enhanced internal communication and greatly supported the healthcare staff in their daily tasks.
Frode Midtbø Bjørkedal, head of the emergency medical service and emergency medical center at Sunnfjord and Ytre Sogn, makes no secret that the implementation of GRID has had a big impact on them:
"We now use GRID for nearly everything, primarily for internal communication. This includes sharing news, updating procedures, and conveying messages from management to our staff. It has truly been a game changer for us, providing a simple and user-friendly system"
From manual procedures to digital
According to Frode Midtbø Bjørkedal, who helped implement GRID, the new system has led to several good things:
"Before we adopted GRID, our processes were very manual. For instance, we used Google Docs to share information among staff. Now, we've transitioned from managing multiple documents to using a single system. This change has provided us with a clear overview of our operations.”
In addition to providing an overview, GRID has also significantly simplified workflows for the approximately 30 nurses and 60 doctors in the emergency department and emergency center:
"GRID has streamlined our workflows, primarily because our staff can access the system from anywhere. They can use it on mobile phones, PCs, and even from home—whether they are in an emergency vehicle or in the emergency room. This accessibility allows them to continuously check treatment procedures, utilize checklists, and share information with the ambulance service, with whom we closely collaborate," says Frode Midtbø Bjørkedal
An important feature
Frode Midtbø Bjørkedal highlights one feature in GRID that has significantly eased their administration:
"The system's ability to see if staff have read important messages or updated treatment procedures is very valuable to us. Before, we had to carry around a physical sheet to make sure that everyone had seen it and that the information had reached the relevant staff. It's a huge relief for us"
GRID provides peace of mind on satellite stations
Having a single, unified system is crucial in a geographically challenging area like Sunnfjord and Ytre Sogn, where three fjords and mountains separate the emergency services, making them quite distant from each other.
"The small municipalities along the coast and fjords are far from the emergency services and may have poor connectivity. That's why we have satellite stations in some of the areas serviced by nurses,"
Says Frode Midtbø Bjørkedal and adds:
"GRID allows us to share treatment procedures and other important information with the nurses, giving them reliable access when receiving patients. This feature provides reassurance, especially when they can't directly consult a doctor," says Frode Midtbø Bjørkedal.
In addition to internal communication, they also use GRID for statistics, reporting, and resource planning. For instance, they can analyze data on response times and phone load to better plan staffing accordingly.
About Sunnfjord and Ytre Sogn Interkommunale Legevakt:
Sunnfjord and Ytre Sogn Interkommunale Legevakt is an emergency medical center that serves approximately 56,000 residents across ten municipalities, operating 24/7. Additionally, they are on call during evenings, nights, and weekends for about 34,500 residents in six municipalities, covering an area of approximately 4,550 km², which includes many fjords and mountains.
