How to Configure an Escalation Procedure

In this article, learn how to configure the escalation procedure to choose how and who gets notified when an escalation occurs.

10 min task

What

When an escalation occurs, such as a fall, resident call, assistance call, or monitoring event escalation, a quick response is required. Nobi ensures this by contacting the people via the channels you've configured. This is managed through what's called an escalation procedure. You can configure this via three sections on the Escalation Flow Procedure tab:

• Escalation set up: choose how care staff are notified of escalations. This can be via a nurse call system integration (if any), Escalations via Nobi Mobile App, and the phone numbers to call, in order.
• Informational set up: email addresses and mobile notifications that only inform people. They do not ask care staff to help.
• Department level modifications: a summary of what's been overridden and customized per department. This is also where you set or reset an override.

The escalation procedure can be configured at two levels:

• Site / community level: applies automatically to all departments and rooms.
• Department level: overrides the site / community settings for that department only. You can configure this from the Department level modifications table on the Procedure tab, or by editing the department directly.

If no escalation procedure is configured, a warning is displayed on the housing unit card on the dashboard.

Why

Without an escalation procedure, Nobi cannot notify anyone when an escalation occurs. Configuring it means escalations get a response as fast as possible. Every department is different, so the setup allows flexibility. You can assign specific care providers through specific channels. Separating the escalation set up from the informational set up also keeps communication and responsibility clear and focused.

Only managers can make changes to the escalation procedure, and all changes are logged for transparency.

Summary

Escalation set up

Escalation set up defines the actionable steps Nobi takes to get an immediate response. This is to ensure there is always a backup option if the integration fails, or if no caregivers are available via Escalations via Nobi Mobile App. Nobi works through the steps in order: the nurse call system if one is integrated, then Escalations via Nobi Mobile App if enabled, then the phone numbers, called one by one.

Phone numbers are required. This is strongly recommended even alongside a nurse call system.

The configuration of the nurse call system itself is handled within that system, not in Nobi; see how to add an integration for setup details.

Detailed steps

Follow the steps below to configure the escalation procedure. Nobi saves your changes automatically and confirms each update with a blue "Successfully updated" banner.

1. From the dashboard, click Escalation flow in the left navigation menu.
   
2. You'll land on the Procedure tab automatically.
   
3. If a nurse call system is integrated, it appears first and no further setup is needed here. 
   
4. Use the toggle to turn Escalations via Nobi Mobile App on or off.
   
5. If toggled on, select how long care staff have to claim the escalation in the app before Nobi falls back to the phone numbers: 2, 3, 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
   
6. Under Escalations via phone, click +Add to add a phone number.
   
7. Choose an existing user (their number is added automatically) or a non-user (enter first name, last name, and phone number manually).
   
8. Click Done.
   
9. Repeat to add as many numbers as needed. Nobi calls them in the order listed. If a call isn't answered and confirmed by pressing "1," Nobi moves to the next number. Nobi will continue to call each phone number until the escalation can be confirmed.

Informational set up

Informational emails and mobile notifications are a secondary, passive way to keep managers, team leads, or others in the loop. They are useful for oversight and follow-up, but not for responding in the moment. They are not part of the Escalation set up and don't let anyone respond to or claim an escalation.

• Emails: sends an email to a chosen user (with an email address) or non-user (with an email address manually entered). Tells them when the escalation starts and when it ends.
• Mobile Notifications: notify a chosen existing user via the Nobi Mobile App when an escalation starts and when it closes. Only existing users can be selected; the notification only reaches them on a device where they're currently signed in.

Detailed steps

1. Under Informational set up, click +Add next to Emails.
   
2. Choose an existing user (their email is added automatically) or select non-user and enter a name and email manually. Then click Done. This person will now receive informational emails when escalations occur.
   
3. Click +Add next to Mobile Notifications.
   
4. Select an existing user (non-users cannot receive informational mobile notifications) and click Done.
   
5. The user will now receive informational mobile notifications when an escalation occurs. 

Department level modifications

A summary table at the bottom of the Procedure tab lists every department. It shows whether its Escalations via Nobi Mobile App setting, Escalations via phone fallback timing or numbers, or Informational flow differs from the site / community-level default. This lets you check what's been overridden across the whole site / community without opening each department individually. Departments matching the site-level setup show "/" in each column. This is also where you set up a different procedure for one specific department, either overriding the site default or resetting back to it. You can also skip the summary table and go straight to a department to set up its override, by opening that department and editing its escalation procedure directly.

Detailed steps

To check what's currently overridden:

1. Scroll to the Department level modifications table at the bottom of the Procedure tab.
2. Each row is a department. Each column shows whether its Escalations via Nobi Mobile App, Escalations via phone, or Informational flow setup differs from the site-level default.
   

To create or change a department-level override:

1. Click the edit button next to the department in the Department level modifications table. Alternatively, go to Departments in the left menu and click the edit button next to the department.
   
2. Navigate to the Escalation procedure tab.
   
3. Click Overrule to set up a different procedure for this department than the site / community setup.
   
4. Specify different phone numbers, Mobile App setting, and informational contacts for this department, following the same steps as Escalation set up and Informational set up above.

To reset a department-level override back to site / community settings:

1. To remove the override and go back to the site-level settings, click Reset.
   
2. Confirm that you wish to reset the department escalation procedure.
   

The Procedure tab is one part of Escalation flow . You can also read how to configure other escalation settings, such as priorities, causes, and preferences.