Modern Care Team Collaboration: TigerConnect User Summit Highlights

Key Takeaways from TigerConnect User Summit 2021

In June, TigerConnect hosted the second annual TigerConnect User Summit, a space for TigerConnect clients to share how they are modernizing care team collaboration. With over 200 registered attendees and speakers from three different health organizations, the TigerConnect User Summit provided a wealth of information regarding physician communication, on-call scheduling, and patient experience. We gained perspective into how clients are solving challenges at healthcare organizations across the country. We hope their experiences transforming healthcare collaboration will help you further develop your communication and care team collaboration strategy! 

 

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Optimizing Informed Patient Transfers

Presented by Philip Baker, Director, Transfer Center at University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

When deciding to transfer a patient from a rural facility, physician communication is everything. It is vital that accepting providers understand the patient’s condition before transferring the patient to a hospital several hours away. Before introducing TigerConnect, case discussions at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Transfer Center took place over the phone. Poor communication channels resulted in unnecessary patient transfers – wasting time and money for both patients and providers.

The transfer center at UNM Health Sciences Center used TigerConnect to improve communication between rural facilities and UNM providers. Photo, video, and file-sharing enabled accepting providers to accurately gauge the severity of the patient’s state and respond appropriately. 

• Improved communication increased provider satisfaction and decreased patient dissatisfaction.
• Providers now make quicker, safer, more informed clinical decisions while spending less time on the phone. 
• Providers were receptive to and excited about the new technology. On top of that, setup was “very, very easy” for the IT department. 
• Since introducing TigerConnect Patient Engagement for patient transfers, the UNM Dermatology Department requested that all consults and transfers are administered via TigerConnect Patient Engagement.
• The UNM Transfer Center also adapted TigerConnect Patient Engagement for communication between facilities rather than doctor-patient communication. 

The Digital Transformation of Scheduling: A New Approach

Presented by Lynn Miller, RN, BSN, Director of Applications; and Jessica Morrison, RN, BSN, Clinical Systems Analyst, both of Doylestown Hospital

As healthcare undergoes a digital transformation, we’re quickly finding that “tried and true” methods are often more trouble than what they’re worth. Doylestown Hospital replaced the physician on-call scheduling binder and paper schedules with a modern, intuitive process that significantly increased efficiency, accuracy, and staff satisfaction.

• The staff saved hours of work previously required to maintain the old on-call schedule calendar by switching to TigerConnect Physician Scheduling. Whereas scheduling was a manual and time-consuming process before TigerConnect Physician Scheduling, hospitalists can now schedule an entire month in less than half an hour. 
• Providers know who is occupying each role and who to contact. Physician on-call schedules are more accessible than ever and can be reached outside the hospital’s four walls. 
• When multiple practices staff a single on-call position, requiring every practice to follow the same time frame for on-call rotations (e.g., 7 am – 7 am) makes it easy to integrate schedules across the board. 
• When implementing on-call schedule software, start with a small, controlled pilot group. Agile implementation allowed Doylestown Hospital to answer questions before the new system was rolled out to larger groups, reduced confusion, and led to a seamless transition for the larger group. 

Increasing Patient Satisfaction with Data-Infused Tools

Presented by Sarah Oakley, Chief Nursing Officer of North Kansas City Hospital

North Kansas City Hospital outlined its journey to achieve a better patient experience utilizing TigerConnect Analytics and the new rounding tool. NKCH arrived at a complete picture of patient needs by combining nurse call information with patient feedback.

• With purposeful rounding practices, NKCH patient experience scores increased across every category measured. 
• NKCH learned that when a nurse is in the room with a patient, the focus should be on the patient rather than a screen. Improving communication with nurses drove improvement in every domain of patient satisfaction at NKCH.
• NKCH found patient experiences scores improved when staff introduced themselves as “Nurse Leaders” rather than “RNs” during rounding.
• An unanticipated result was reduced caregiver workload. With improved rounding practices, patient call requests decreased, and interruptions became less frequent.

Closing TigerConnect User Summit Key Takeaways

The speakers shared valuable lessons and key insights into the current state of healthcare collaboration and patient engagement. A vital point is what’s best for staff is often best for patients, too. Clinical care team collaboration tools help providers save time and resources, resulting in happier, healthier patients. When transitioning from archaic practices to modern healthcare solutions, you may find surprising benefits, creating more value for caregivers and patients.

We want to thank all of the attendees who participated in the success of the TigerConnect User Summit 2021. We look forward to the next User Summit in November and can’t wait to see you there!

Tags: Clinical Collaboration Software., Physician On Call Scheduling, On-Call Schedule Software, Healthcare Technology Summit, Care Team Collaboration, Healthcare