STEGH improves mental healthcare with new software

ST. THOMAS, Ont. – St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital’s Mental Health Outpatient Program recently leveraged Oracle Cerner Ambulatory Module. Using this system, the program has been able to reduce its outpatient wait time list, increase overall productivity, improve effectiveness of resources, reduce errors, and most importantly improve the patient experience.

Moreover, the Intake Team has significantly reduced duplication of work and the potential for error, as they no longer have to enter outpatient referral information into a shared spreadsheet and then forward to the Clinician for review and input into Oracle Cerner.

The historical process was paper-based, time-consuming and outdated, which led to delays in triaging referrals and ultimately, patient care.

Before this upgrade, the process took approximately 48 minutes to complete one referral. With the implementation of the Ambulatory Module, this time has been shortened to a total of 12 minutes, a reduction of about 70%.

Most importantly, with complete and up-to-date information, the healthcare team can make faster and more accurate decisions.

“The results of the Ambulatory Module has streamlined appointment types, increased standardization of practice, decreased wait times, minimized waste and allows for information to be accessible and available for the whole care team in real time,” said Erica Haykus, manager of the Mental Health Program.

Digitizing the intake process and wait times means the hospital is better prepared to manage volumes and meet the needs of patients. Clinicians are also able to focus more of their time on patient care.

“This initiative is a major accomplishment and has positioned our Mental Health program for success as we continue on our digital health journey,” said Monica Olanski (pictured), vice president, Patient Services and chief information officer.