Patient Flow Technology

Patient flow describes the process of treating patients who present at hospitals or medical centers. The flow requires strong collaboration and communication between administrative and intake personnel, nurses and doctors. To accomplish a successful flow system, technology is used to offer an enhanced continuum of care to patients.

Function

• Companywide electronic databases are used to store patient information, so doctors and nurses have immediate access to patient records from their computers. Information is uploaded by intake staff who evaluate the patient in triage, and the electronic record continues to be updated by the nurses and doctors to provide ongoing medical attention.

Features

• Electronic technology lets medical facilities keep better track of their patients. Databases are able to sort patient lists by priority or urgency, run reports and tell doctors how long patients have been waiting to be seen. Using technology eliminates paper, which reduces the chances of patient information from getting lost.

Benefits

• Electronic technology expedites the patient flow process because it strengthens communication among departments. In turn, patients can be seen, and assigned a hospital bed, faster. According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, measuring patient flow timeliness is an important factor in minimizing risk and preventing undue complications to the patient.