It’s 2018 and technology is everywhere…or is it? Across the country there are hospitals and healthcare organizations that continue to choose to conduct patient rounding armed with paper and pencil. Is your hospital one of them?
As a workflow automation provider, we are always curious as to why some still use paper - so we ask. We’ve heard a multitude of reasons why some continue rounding in healthcare with paper versus using technology. Here are a few that we hear the most, along with ideas on how technology can enhance the rounding process.
Paper Just Works
What we hear: “My staff can round just as well on paper - and it’s free.” You can certainly perform the act of patient rounding with paper. But what are you missing out on?
How Technology Can Help: Although paper may appear free, consider what it costs to go through the steps and do everything on paper. How can your team track and trend the patient experience issues related to units, ancillary services and staff? Losing out on missed opportunities for improving the experience real time can affect your bottom line.
How do you sustain results on paper? And…where are you even storing all that paper? Using a rounding app while conducting your Nurse Leader Rounding, you have everything you need in your tablet or iPad. No more remembering what happened yesterday, tracking people down to give them tasks, or going back to your desk to check status, or sending off emails to resolve issues. The information is at your fingertips with mobile rounding!
Technology Gets in the Way
What we hear: “It is awkward asking the patient questions - the technology gets in the way.” You may have been using the wrong technology for the job or might want to consider changing your approach.
How Technology Can Help: A mobile rounding application should assist your efforts, not impede them. The right rounding application will assist you with making eye contact with your patient. Leveraging a rounding tool with big, colorful buttons and tap and swipe functionality, you are able to have a conversation with your patient and automatically launch workflow to resolve any issues. You are no longer reading from a survey or writing out loads of information. You can start the ball rolling on fixing those issues now, without having to go back to your office to type everything into a static spreadsheet.
It’s the Same Thing Each Day
What we hear: “I don’t like going in to the patient’s room asking the same questions day after day – and they don’t like it either.” We don’t blame you - or them - and that is not meaningful rounding!
How Technology Can Help: The goal is to have a conversation with the patient, not to ask each domain question day after day. Focus efforts on domains that were not met on previous rounds. With a patient rounding application, you can easily view previous rounds and notes on the patient, making it easy to address issues. With this information at your fingertips, you can enter the room armed with exactly what needs to be discussed. Plus, a good rounding tool will enable you to be efficient and cuts the time spent, allowing caregivers to touch more patients and make more of an impact.
Patient Care or Patient Experience
What We Hear: “I only round when I have extra time. It’s more important for me to get my patient healthy than it is to make them feel good.” Well, what if we told you that in a study conducted by Deloitte, they found that there is a positive correlation between patient experience and patient outcomes?
How Technology Can Help: Imagine streamlining and automating your process with integration between your hospital rounding and your EMR. Picture having the ability to remember the past by referring to previous notes or rounds. Change the future with actionable data by sending escalations to your ancillary teams on the spot. Studies have shown that when you make the patient feel better about their experience, it positively affects their outcome. They feel included and understand the technology makes everyone’s experience more meaningful.
Are you convinced?
Advances in technology continue to help the healthcare industry work faster, easier, and smarter. With the CLARIFIRE HEALTH® mobile rounding application, caregivers have less clicks, minimal scrolling, and intuitive usability. With added visibility into each patient touch-point throughout the rounding process, never be at a loss for information when you need it. The mobile rounding app is run on a robust workflow engine that captures metrics, preferences, and trends in real time, adding power to the rounding processes that paper cannot.
Are you ready to see how technology can improve your Nurse Leader Rounding process? Schedule a demo and tell us your concerns about adopting a rounding application. We will show you how the right technology can help ensure your organization is providing the best care and patient experience possible with rounding success. We are here to make your care providing easier and more effective, call us now!
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Lauren Walling
Lauren Walling is a graduate of Emory University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, as well as an MBA from the John Sykes School of Business from The University of Tampa. She currently sits on the Board of Fellows at the University of Tampa, and is a member of the Healthcare Business Women's Association, National Association of Professional Women, and the Morton Plant Skip Cline Society. Lauren works with large Healthcare Systems implementing Patient Experience Solutions that streamline processes, increase patient experience and improve quality and safety.
