Ross Memorial implements digital tracking in ED

LINDSAY, Ont. – A donation from a private company, Canada Protection Plan Inc., has enabled the Ross Memorial Hospital to purchase and implement a ‘tracker board’ for the hospital’s Emergency Department.

In December, the ED team launched the ED PulseCheck electronic patient tracker. This new tool helps the team to manage and monitor patients’ care throughout their ED stay. The tracker board provides key patient information that helps the team to assess and prioritize its caseload quickly and efficiently.

The tracking board shows real-time patient information including the time for next nursing reassessment, patient urgency, length of stay and the patient’s destination (inpatient bed, transfer, discharge).

It also links to the Laboratory and Diagnostic Imaging systems and alerts the team as soon as a patient’s lab or imaging results are available.

“The new tracker represents a milestone for emergency department care at RMH,” said Dr. Koushik Krishnan, RMH chief of emergency medicine. “We hope it will reduce ED wait times, improve patient flow and ultimately lead to better patient care.”

“The decision by CPP to give back to the Hospital is not only profoundly appreciated by the Hospital team, it’s a communication tool that will impact the care received by every patient who visits the ED,” said Erin Coons, RMH Foundation Executive Director. “It’s an acquisition we couldn’t have managed without donor support, and it highlights the vital role donors play in patient care.”

“We’re so pleased to be able to implement this new technology in the Emergency Department and continue our efforts to improve our patient wait times,” said Dr. Bert Lauwers, RMH president and CEO.

“The tracker board will have a significant impact on our organization, from the ED to the inpatient units. The fact that it was 100% donor funded is a testament to this community’s pride and support for its hospital. We couldn’t be more thankful.”

In the Emergency Department, the sickest patients are seen first, regardless of who arrived first. How long you wait depends on how sick you are and how many other people are being treated at the time of your visit.