Patient TrackingWednesday, December 10, 2014

Disclaimer: Nothing that we are sharing is intended as legally binding or prescriptive advice. This presentation is a synthesis of publically available information and best practices.

• What is patient tracking?

• Why is patient tracking important?

– Benefits

– Metrics

• What analytic reports should be utilized?

• What is the future of patient tracking?

Patient Tracking Key Points

• Technology-based systems designed to track the status or location of patients as they move through a medical facility

• Provides broad snapshots of practice efficiency• Real-time tracking

– Real Time Location Systems (RTLS)– Automatic identification and tracking

• Semi real-time tracking– Manual data entry

• Current patient tracking system adoption is less than 5 percent– Expected to grow significantly

What is Patient Tracking?

• Common features– Medical facility floor plans– Easy to read metric dashboards– EHR integration– Current location and status– Metrics history log

• Additional features– Staff tracking– Equipment tracking software– Staff and patient alert systems– Hand hygiene tracking integration– Clinical workflow automation– Lab work integration

Patient Tracking System Features

• Patient-provider interaction times are increased

– Improves patient education

• Expedites order execution and care transitions

• Improves response for time-based care

• Ability to track infectious disease exposure

Improve Quality and Safety of Care

• Decreases patient wait times

• Shortens length of stay

• Eliminates patient misplacement or oversights

• Minimizes patient walk-outs

• Keeps patients and family more informed throughout the visit

• Results in higher HCAHPS patient satisfaction scores

Increase Patient Satisfaction

• Provides greater capacity without increasing staff levels– Improves bed turnover time 40-50 percent

• Peak patient volume data allows for more effective scheduling

• Improves staff productivity analysis

• Strengthens team communication and responsiveness

• Improves staff morale and lowers employee turnover

Positive Impact on Staff

• Improves quality measures compliance and time-based care milestones

• Increases customer throughput leads to faster revenue generation

• Higher customer satisfaction ratings directly impact Medicare payments

• Better recordkeeping reduces potential liability• 95 percent of organizations that implemented real-

time tracking systems have seen a positive return on investment

Positive Return on Investment

• Data to generate long-term improvements in care delivery

– Average and max wait time from check in

– Average and max wait time between intake and physician arrival

– Average and max wait time for check out

– Number of hand offs per patient

– Patients who left without being seen

Recommended Utilization of Reports

• Versus

• PatientTrak

• CenTrak

• TeleTracking Technologies

• And many EHRs

Patient Tracking Vendors

• Web-based patient tracking system– Patient tracking– Cycle time data

• Displays on large screen or individual workstations• EHR integration• Features:

– Floor plan displaying patient and provider location– Four dashboard dials display:

• Average wait time• Patients waiting• Number of patients in clinic• Longest wait time

– Matrix showing acuity, assigned provider, and location– Real time feed of clinical actions

Quirk Healthcare Bed Board

Bed Board Interface

• RFID Tracking Systems– True real-time tracking via radio frequency tags

• Wearable badges and bracelets

– Completely automated data mining and system feedback

– Communicates with other tagged equipment• Hand sanitizers for hand hygiene compliance

– Currently used to track staff and equipment with future growth in patient tracking systems

• External tracking systems and monitors– Currently in use via cell phone apps

– Expected to grow

Future Outlook

• Biomedical device paired with RFID tracking– Stores Patient basic information

• Name

• Address

• Insurance

– Stores medical data • EEG

• Blood Pressure

• Sugar level

• Temperature

Future Outlook

ben.quirk@quirkhealthcare.com

Q&A