The Sync Badge is here: hands-free, wearable clinical communication device

Workflow efficiency. Dedicated panic button. Quick, reliable hands-free communication. All in one wearable device.

In Q3 2025, Stryker announced the launch of the Sync Badge, a hands-free, wearable clinical communication device that helps enhance workflow efficiency and team collaboration in dynamic, hands-on patient care environments.

Inspired by nurses, the Sync Badge was created to connect clinical teams in areas of the hospital where the work is physical and hands-on. Think of care areas like the emergency/A&E department, surgery, labour and delivery, or even a busy MedSurg ward—where patients may be treated in corridors due to capacity pressures and their condition can change in an instant, making quick communication essential.

Workflow efficiency

Traditional ways of receiving alarms and critical notifications can sometimes be impractical for busy, hands-on situations. With the Sync Badge, you can receive alarms and notifications directly on the device, helping to avoid delays caused by page-and-wait communication bottlenecks.*

For example, in an emergency department, a patient requires a type and screen blood test before going to surgery. The physician or a delegate enters orders into the EPR (Electronic Patient Record) or EMR (Electronic Medical Record) for a STAT type and screen. Traditionally, the nurse responsible for coordinating the test would eventually find out that the patient needs it. In some hospitals, the order sits in the EPR/EMR until someone sees it, introducing a point of delay.

The lab performs the test, and the result is entered into the EPR/EMR, where it waits for the nurse to retrieve it, creating another point of delay.

Meanwhile, the surgical team may wait for the patient until they know the test results are available. The nurse must review the EPR/EMR and communicate back to surgery. This may happen multiple times for a single patient.

Each point of delay can impact time-sensitive decisions such as patient transfer, treatment initiation or discharge.

The Sync Badge addresses this by integrating with the EPR/EMR through Stryker’s intelligent Vocera Engage middleware, reducing the need for the nurse to repeatedly check the EPR/EMR for results.

In addition to integrating with the EPR/EMR, the Sync Badge can also integrate with lab systems, nurse call systems, connected beds and more through Engage. As another example, in labour and delivery wards, critical results of tests like hemoglobin or platelet count can be sent directly to the nurse or provider caring for the patient.

Dedicated panic button

It’s critical that healthcare workers feel protected and are protected.

The Sync Badge includes a dedicated panic button that can be discreetly pressed in a moment of distress, quickly opening a communication channel with your facility’s response or security team. Responders can hear what’s happening live and locate you, even if you’re unable to speak. In less urgent situations, voice commands can be used to broadcast to nearby colleagues for support.

Quick, reliable collaboration

In hands-on nursing care, the ability to communicate and collaborate is essential. When you need to call an emergency code, request equipment or ask for help, you should always feel connected to the people you rely on.

With the Sync Badge, you can communicate as easily as you speak. Say, “Okay Vocera” to wake the device, worn just below the neckline on a clip or lanyard, and use voice commands to reach contacts by name, role, group or extension. Urgently broadcast to team members for assistance or to assemble a rapid response team. Page a user or group. Call people outside the hospital. Make, receive, transfer and forward calls, all without taking your hands or eyes off the patient. And if additional privacy is needed during a call, hold the Sync Badge to your ear to switch the device to handset mode.

The Sync Badge is part of our enterprise workflow platform, which includes hands-free, wearable clinical communication devices, as well as options for smartphones and desktop workstations. This enables seamless communication with team members across wards and roles, whether they use a Sync Badge, smartphone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), landline, or pager.

Learn more

Stryker is one of the world's leading medical technology companies. Alongside our customers around the world, we impact more than 150 million patients annually. To learn more about the latest in hands-free, wearable clinical communication, visit the Sync Badge product page.