June 13, 2025
Recently, we decided to sunset our nurse call device. This post is a reflection on everything we worked on, what we accomplished, and where we went wrong.
This was a direction we had pursued for 8 months - 253 days of building, testing, and iterating.
We spoke with nurses, doctors, administrators, and just about anyone in healthcare who would take a meeting. We saw the potential, and the people we spoke with saw the potential, for what we were building to fundamentally change how patients and caregivers communicate. Here's a bit about the journey.
What happens when a patient can't call for help?
In the earliest stages, that question led me to think about what could be done to bridge this gap, and why it's a problem that hasn't been solved. Whether a patient is unable to press a physical call light or has their call device fall out of reach, there are many instances where communication is cut off when it's needed most.
To try and come up with an answer, I put a team together and visited Johns Hopkins University for a hackathon, a chance to prototype a solution and get feedback. We sketched out interfaces that relied on alternative input modalities, for patients with limited use of their hands or speech difficulties.
Digging deeper, I found that there are many situations in which patients are left without a way to communicate their needs. That realization drove everything we did next.
We started simple. The earliest version of the product was essentially an iPad app using the beta eye-tracking. The user would look at one of six icons on the screen and hold their gaze to select. It was clunky, barebones, and rushed, but it proved our concept and started conversations.
Next, we focused on usability. The second version introduced a better user interface, with the added option of recording a message to then be transcribed and sent as a notification.
We mounted the device and tested it in a hospital environment.
The third version of the product moved beyond software. Much of the feedback we received pointed to the need for a cost-effective solution. Most facilities will almost always opt for the cheapest option when considering nurse call systems. So, we started building a hardware prototype with the absolute core functionality, a mounted device that would be accessible to a patient lying face up.
Despite the progress, we realized that the barriers to adoption were bigger than just technical challenges. Hospitals are risk-averse. Budgets are tight. Regulations are complex. And introducing a new system, no matter how promising, requires a level of trust and validation that, quite frankly, we didn't have.
Still, we’re proud of what we built. And more importantly, we're moving forward with a clearer vision of the future we want to build.
-Yonatan
Last updated: July 30, 2025