Infusing the urgent service with innovative technology, patients will now be asked to take a few minutes to complete a short, digital form within the Emergency Department’s waiting room, describing their ailment or injury as well as providing general health details.
By completing this process, the patient is able to explain the reason for their visit, while also disclosing previous medical problems, all of which becomes part of their medical record. By completing this step, this improves communication in the Emergency Department, aids clinicians and also uses the patient’s waiting time more productively, reducing overall waiting times.
The project, led by Dr Amjid Mohammed, has been successfully piloted at Montagu Hospital, with feedback stating 95% of patients find the new system to be a good use of time, with 98% of staffasked in agreement.
Amjid said: “Urgent care has remained fairly static in how it is delivered since the introduction of Emergency Departments. By launching Smart-ER we want to move the service forward, making use of technology to ensure we get the most from waiting patients, actively involving them in their own treatment.”
A number of PC terminals have been installed within the Emergency Department at DRI, with those waiting encouraged to take a few minutes to enter their details. To help in the process, a member of staff is on hand if patients encounter any issues, while carers or nominated individuals are able to also access the system if an ill or injured individual is unable to do so.
Amjid continues: “As the service sees ever-increasing attendance, with 13,867 of patients presenting in the Emergency Department in December, we hope that by adopting Smart-ER we will enhance the care we offer for patients in need of urgent and emergency care, potentially reducing waiting times and also making good use of the time spent in the waiting area.”
Launched with plans for further development and growth, Smart-ER is currently in phase one, with the second iteration expected in the coming months. Using cloud-based tech, this next-step will enable patients to receive bespoke information about their illness or injury and any health promotion that may benefit the patient, and will also support enrolment on free first aid courses for those that are interested.
Smart-ER is just one of a number of recent innovations and investments seen within the Emergency Departments at the Trust, as work commenced in January to improve the patient-triaging system at Bassetlaw Hospital.
Watch a short video about the Smart-ER process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd7_rmg_9bk