Frequently Asked Questions
Making Sure You Get Your Page
Whether you're new to paging or just new to the Stanford paging system, we'd like to pass along some answers to questions we often receive at the Pager Admin office. If you have any other questions about your Stanford pager, please stop by and visit us (HC0009, across from the Gift Shop) or call us (725-7101).
Q: How reliable is the paging service? Will I receive all the pages sent to me?
A: Paging technology uses radio waves to transmit information from an antenna to your pager. While this is generally reliable, it is not perfect technology. Terrain, weather or large concrete or metal masses such as buildings, for example, can interfere with the transmission of these radio waves and consequently the reception of an individual page. IT Services, the Stanford department that operates the Stanford paging system for the Stanford medical community, routinely checks on all aspects of the systems and regularly makes improvements to improve system reliability. Still, today, there is really no way to completely eliminate the physical limitations of the technology and some transmitted pages may not reach your pager.
Q: Can I do anything to improve my paging reception?
A: Compared to other wireless communication technology such as cellular telephones, paging technology and the Stanford paging system are quite reliable. Unfortunately, in a medical environment, every page is very important. While we can monitor reliability related to the transmission of pages, you have the equipment that controls the receipt of pages—your pager.
You can help by always making sure your pager is in good working order. First, make sure it is turned on with a good working battery. Fairly basic, we know, but you'd be amazed how many missed pages are due to these issues. Also, when a pager is dropped, it may continue working, but dislodged components may reduce the pager's ability to receive transmissions. If you notice a lot of missed pages, bring your pager to Pager Admin (HC0009) for a checkup or repair.
One of the most important things you can do is to make sure you always set your paging status appropriately (e.g., "In Hospital" when you're there and "Out of Hospital" when you're not). For a complete list of paging status and instructions on how to set your paging status, see the Paging Directory or call Pager Admin at 725-7101.
If someone tells you they paged you and you didn't get the page, please report it to Pager Admin at 725-7101. The staff looks in these reports for trends that help CNS technicians define areas for service improvement.
Q:Anything someone paging me should know about sending pages?
A: Good question! Tell your clients and colleagues that if they don't get a response, page again. If you are using your pager for critical applications, make sure they have an alternate way of reaching you. You can set your pager to provide callers with a greeting that supplies additional information before sending their page. (See the Paging Directory or call Pager Admin (725-7101) for instructions.) You can also provide alternate contact information with the Page Operator (288 from a Medical Center phone or 723-6661 from other phones).
Q:What about Pagenet pagers or pagers from other service providers?
A: Most of the Stanford medical community, and all code teams, use the Stanford-owned paging system for their paging service. Pagers are owned by departments and pages are sent over a frequency used ONLY by the Stanford paging system. However, some staff who live or work in areas not reached by the Stanford system may rent Pagenet pagers from Pager Admin. This service is more costly and pages tend to take a bit longer to be transmitted, but Pagenet does provide a wider area in which you can receive pages. Keep in mind that Stanford has much less control over the reliability of the Pagenet service
