Modernising processes in a hospital is a crucial step in improving the quality of care and streamlining patient flow. To achieve this, it is necessary to follow some key steps to identify areas in need of improvement and take effective action.
5 keys to Streamline Patient Flow
1. Identification🔎 of critical processes:
The first step is to identify critical processes that need to be streamlined. This can be achieved by analyzing data and identifying bottlenecks in patient care processes. It is important to involve all hospital staff in this step, from doctors, nurses, and orderlies to administration and general services.
In this process, Real Time Location Technology (RTLS) can be very useful in collecting accurate, real-time data on the movement of patients within the hospital. Using smart wristbands, detailed data is collected on the time patients spend at each stage of their care, from admission to discharge. By analyzing this data, hospitals can identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
2. Setting objectives🎯
Once the critical processes have been identified, it is necessary to set clear and specific objectives for each of them.
For example, a clear and measurable objective might be to reduce the time patients spend in the waiting room before being seen by a doctor. Another objective could be to improve the accuracy of the hospital’s bed management, which would maximize resource efficiency and ensure that patients are seen at the right time.
It is important to emphasize that the objectives must be realistic and achievable, taking into account the hospital’s constraints and resources. Again, it is essential to involve all hospital staff in the goal-setting process, as their collaboration and commitment are critical to the success of the project.
3. Implementation of advanced technology⚙
The implementation of advanced technology is key to modernizing a hospital’s processes. This includes the use of tools such as digitization of medical records or automation of manual processes. Technology can help reduce human error, improve efficiency, and increase accuracy in patient flow.
For example, a technology platform to orchestrate and automate patient care processes reduces the administrative burden and improves the efficiency of processes in the hospital by coordinating staff through automated tasks to reduce the need to make phone calls or send emails. Combined with RTLS, patient flow can be greatly streamlined by automating tasks such as cleaning rooms or operating theatres when a patient is discharged or leaves the operating theatre. Furthermore, integrating this with the hospital’s bed management system would allow patient location information to be updated automatically. This would allow hospital staff to have real-time information on bed availability and make decisions based on up-to-date information.
4. Staff training👥
Training and coaching are necessary to ensure that all team members are aligned and can work together effectively. To this end, it is advisable to organize training and capacity-building days for hospital staff. These can be face-to-face or virtual, depending on the circumstances. It is important that training is personalized and tailored to the specific needs and roles of each staff member so that they can learn how to use new technologies effectively in their daily tasks.
In addition, the use of educational resources, such as videos and tutorials, can be of great help in complementing training sessions and ensuring that staff have access to the necessary information at all times. Videos and tutorials can be used to explain the basics of new technologies, as well as to provide step-by-step guidance on how to use them.
5. Measurement and monitoring📊
It is important to measure and monitor the modernized processes to determine whether the set objectives are being achieved. This can be done through the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the efficiency and quality of patient care. Measurement and monitoring also allow for the identification of any areas that still need improvement.
The implementation of new technologies is not a process that stops once the set objectives have been achieved. Instead, it is important to continuously evaluate and improve processes in order to obtain the best possible results. To this end, it is essential to have a business intelligence tool to analyze and evaluate the data and information collected by the new technologies.
A business intelligence tool, such as data analysis software, can help identify areas for improvement and opportunities to optimize hospital processes. For example, if the RTLS system for patients shows that there is a delay in waiting times for patient transfers, the data can be used to identify the underlying causes of the problem and take steps to address them.
It is important to keep in mind that the implementation of new technologies is an ongoing process that must be continuously evaluated and improved. Incorporating a business intelligence tool is essential to ensure that the hospital can measure the performance of new technologies and make informed decisions based on data.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, modernising and transforming a hospital’s processes can have a significant impact on efficiency and quality of care. The implementation of technologies such as a patient RTLS system, process orchestration and automation, and the use of business intelligence tools can improve patient flow management, resource allocation and decision making.
In the case of MYSPHERA, we have carried out transformation processes in more than 50 European hospitals. Thanks to the implementation of our RTLS solutions such as ORvital and Stela, we have been able to increase the number of surgeries by more than 16%, increase the bed occupancy rate by more than 30%, and increase the capacity of the AMC by more than 70%. In addition, the start of operations has been brought forward by an average of 35 minutes and unplanned surgery extensions have been reduced by more than 50%.
These improvements have not only increased efficiency and quality of care for patients, but have also enabled hospitals to manage their resources more effectively and cost-efficiently. In addition, these advances in hospital process management also have a positive impact on staff morale and patient satisfaction.
