From PHS to Smartphone: A Small Change in Hospital Communication

The PHS devices we used in the hospital have finally been replaced by smartphones.
It sounds like a simple upgrade—but in daily practice, the change feels more complicated than expected.

The PHS we used to carry was light and fit neatly into a chest pocket. I simply attached a small strap and that was enough. Now, we are issued long neck straps for the smartphones, and apparently we are expected to use them.

When worn around the neck, the phone swings around waist level and gets in the way while walking. If I put it in my chest pocket, the strap dangles awkwardly.

The smartphone is at least twice as heavy as the old PHS, so it no longer feels like something you can carry lightly.

For someone like me—a pathologist who spends most of the day sitting in front of a microscope—it can just be placed nearby. But for clinicians who must carry it all day, this must be quite a burden.

　

The introduction of smartphones is meant to improve efficiency. However, in departments like pathology or laboratory medicine, we do not have enough staff to justify forming messaging groups. In practice, contacting someone directly is not much different from before.

Besides, there is always a laptop connected to the hospital network right next to me, so using a smartphone does not make a significant difference in most cases.

　

That said, the speaker function is a clear advantage.

Previously, if a call came in while I was working at the microscope, I had to stop what I was doing. Now, I can simply swipe the screen, answer the call, and switch to speaker mode.

Being able to continue looking through the microscope while responding is, without question, a real improvement.

If needed, colleagues can listen in immediately as well. Since I am not in a position where confidential conversations are common, most discussions can be handled openly.

I occasionally hear voices coming from speakerphones in the office, so it seems others are making good use of this feature too.

　

How long has it been since smartphones became the norm?

Ten years? Fifteen?

I still have remnants of old flip phones, but smartphones are usually collected when replaced, so it is hard to remember clearly. In any case, it has been quite a while.

　

Although smartphones are often described as a revolutionary innovation, in the broader flow of technological progress, they may turn out to be just a brief moment.

What kind of devices will we be using ten or fifteen years from now?

　

If possible, I hope for technologies that make war unnecessary.

But as long as there are people who do not want that, even such possibilities may end up taking a different path.

 

Technology moves forward—but not always in the direction we hope.