Help! I need recommendations for wireless headphones (patient use in facility!)

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Hello!

My hospital is looking into wireless headphones or sound amplifiers for patient use, in order to allow our heard of hearing patients to watch television without the whole floor hearing the TV. I'm wondering if any of you use sound amplifiers in the work place. I have some questions and would love your help or recommendations!

1) What type of amplifier/headphone do you use? (Brand name or description of product, etc)

2) Are you able to effectively clean it between patient use? (We are looking to buy a couple of them for the floor and use them as needed for patients. We need to be able to clean them without ruining them.)

3) How well do they work? Are there any issues or things you wish they would include?

Thank you very much for your responses! I'm having a hard time finding the perfect product! I appreciate any and all input!

-Amanda

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

What a great idea!

Do you already have TVs with USB ports that can be used with Bluetooth adapters? Have you talked with your ICP to discuss how headphones would need to be disinfected between patients? I know from personal experience, that the headphones that attach to a neck piece ( like these) are the easiest to keep track of... the small ones that just have wires are always falling out and getting lost. Please keep us informed about your progress and outcomes.

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Depending on what type of nurse call system you use, it may have a headphone jack on the nurse call device. If it does, you can plug wired headphones into it to hear the TV.

Look at page 7 of the Nurse Call Products Catalogue found here to see what I'm talking about:

Curbell Product Resources | Curbell Medical Products, Inc.

They offer disposable wired headphones that plug into an audio jack on the nurse call / TV remote. If your hospital uses this type of nurse call system, this might work for you. According to the catalogue list price for the headphones is $2.75.

Some things to consider:

Wireless headphones will have to have a battery in the headphone. That will have to be recharged or replaced every x hours of use. Who will be responsible for that?

Does the battery in the headphone pose any kind of problem if used in an oxygen rich environment? I don't know. I'm just wondering, since it is a power source. Better check with the medical engineering dept just to be sure.

For wireless, you will need a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter will be either the TV or something attached to the TV. Does the TV have built-in Bluetooth? If so, the TV will be the transmitter. If not, you wil need a separate transmitter attached to the audio port on the TV. If attached to the TV, will it tend to "walk off" with the patient?

The receiver will be the headphone.

Are you going to use radio waves or infra red to transmit between the transmitter and receiver? If infra red, you will need direct line of site between transmitter and receiver.

What frequency will the transmitter operate at? Could it interfere with the hospital wireless network? Or a more likely scenario - will the hospital wireless network cause "noise" on the headphones?

I too want to hear what you find out. This sounds like an interesting project, and one that could increase patient and staff satisfaction.

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