Imagine the last time you saw a flight status screen in an airport. Now imagine that this screen not only shows whether or not your flight is on time, but also any foreseen delays, the location of your seat, whether the plane has been cleaned and what you might have to eat on the flight.
That kind of information, with a healthcare twist, is now available to physicians working in three Birmingham-area hospitals. Just by walking into a unit or logging onto their own computer, doctors and other staff can get real-time patient updates that, according to system users, saves time, improves revenues, enhances communication and results in better patient care.
Awarix, a patient care visibility system developed in Birmingham, provides real-time, at-a-glance data that speeds physician orders and increases overall efficiency, said Scott McFarland, Awarix chief operating officer. Patient information, designated by room, is posted on electronic 360-degree “whiteboards” placed in corridors, on desks and in patient rooms. Physicians, nurses and staff throughout a hospital need not log onto a computer to check for updated information. Instead, the system provides HIPAA-compliant ongoing status reports as staff move from desk to hall to treatment rooms. Room numbers with color-coded icons indicate patient location, room status, patient events, pending orders and urgency levels. Awarix is integrated with existing clinical systems so that new information is automatically posted.
Physicians’ orders are also recorded in real time, McFarland said. With just two touches on a screen a physician can notify nursing staff of a new chart order and its urgency.
The result is quicker order compliance and treatment regimens for patients, said Cindy T. Williams, RN, vice president of patient care services for St. Vincent’s Hospital. Nurses no longer need to wonder if a bottom-of-the-stack chart needs immediate attention. Instead the whiteboard’s icon colors let her know which file houses notes that are routine and which are stat orders.
Williams said that nurses at St. Vincent’s, where the system is fully implemented, can tell at a glance that the patient in a specified room has a new order, new result, is at fall risk or is scheduled for discharge. Housekeeping, transportation discharge personnel and other professionals also simultaneously receive the same information. Even patient families benefit, as they can look at the board to see where a loved one is when not in their room.
“The biggest advantage for physicians is that it improves their efficiency and communication,” said Williams. Physicians may check on a patient’s status, including lab reports, before leaving their offices for rounds. If a doctor finds that a patient will be in radiology the doctor therefore will not go to that floor until the patient’s return. The doctor may place orders on the unit that can be fulfilled before the doctor even gets to the room. Phone calls and delays are minimized, as an icon tells everyone in the unit what is needed.
Information is not wholly dependent upon manual entry. The LCD panels, which are designed to reflect a map of each unit in a geospatial diagram, are automatically updated with icons indicating new results from, for instance, lab computers. Human error and delays are therefore minimized as automatic updates are recorded.
Patient access staff can also see the entire facility. Money is saved and patient and staff satisfaction enhanced when discharges are noted by everyone involved, allowing on-time compliance and hospital-wide notification of available rooms for waiting patients.
Awarix information also helps allocate resources, Williams said. Management can generate reports of where admissions are heaviest, tracking trends that help assess unit performance and needs. She said nurses’ increased job satisfaction is just one significant benefit of the system.
“We are always thrilled when a technology can deliver any type of results. With this system, though, we are experiencing results on so many different fronts — from job satisfaction to efficiency to quality of care — which is truly unique.”
Awarix is a Birmingham-based company developed through a city incubator and the efforts of Gary York, PhD, founder of Awarix, Comframe Software and Emageon.
York and Paul Gartman, who “conceived the notion of patient care visibility,” said McFarland, developed the system, which was installed at St. Vincent’s in June 2005. Since then, Brookwood Medical Center and Medical Center East have also adopted Awarix. These Birmingham facilities are among 22 hospitals in the United States, along with hospitals in Germany and Mexico, said McFarland, who are enjoying the benefits of the system.
September 2007
