Karmanos Cancer Center Tracks Patient Flow In Clinic With Versus Advantages RTLS

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center is the first cancer center in Michigan to track and manage patient flow using the Versus Advantages Real-time Locating System (RTLS) at its newly opened Dresner Family Clinic for Hematologic Malignancies & Stem Cell Transplantation.

Karmanos, located in Detroit, Mich., is designated by the National Cancer Institute as among the very best cancer centers in the United States. The center, which sees more than 6,000 new patients annually, strives to find ways in which to improve services, says Kathleen Fedoronko, Karmanos' executive director of Patient Care Services.

A patient satisfaction survey conducted in 2010 pointed to one area in need of improvement—patient wait times. Fedoronko notes that the time studies Karmanos used to identify possible causes of long waits were labor-intensive and, as a result, were done infrequently. “We really felt we didn’t have a great sense overall of our throughput issues,” she says. “That’s when we became interested in electronic [patient tracking] systems.

When the decision was made to build the Dresner Family Clinic, a new space that combines two previously separate clinic environments, Karmanos knew technology could ease the transition and manage patient flow in the much-larger 16,000-square-foot area. The center selected Versus Advantages Clinic solution, an automated workflow management system using RTLS.

As the most deployed RTLS in healthcare for automated patient flow, Versus helps Karmanos manage the visits of 250+ patients per week through the Dresner Clinic’s 16 exam rooms and 13 infusion rooms.

“We love working with innovators in healthcare like Karmanos,” says Matthew Schmidt, a national sales director for Versus, “and we’re pleased to see them embrace technology to provide better patient care. It’s clear the patients come first at Karmanos.

Both patients and staff at the cancer center wear Versus Clearview Badges, which communicate room-level location through low-powered, safe infrared (IR) and radio frequency (RFID) signals. Rules-based clinical workflow automation software provides real-time situational awareness to staff, allowing them to view patient progression and room status on workstations and four 42-inch Glance-and-Go overhead screens.

The system tracks patient and staff workflow to identify bottlenecks for process improvement and to enhance patient safety. “We are looking at specific milestones, like how long it takes from the time the patient walks in the door to the time they get triaged, to when they get their vitals taken,” says Valerie Fred, an operations support specialist at Karmanos. “Then we’re looking at the patients’ overall length of stay. And we’re also looking at that data separated by physician, to see the variability [in times] between physicians and how they’re operating in the environment.

But it’s the real-time workflow management that is especially important to the clinic. Fred explains, “Patient visits can be very involved.  They are seen by pharmacists, possibly a social worker, a bone marrow transplant coordinator—there’s so many different people that may come in and out of that patient’s room while they’re here.

With the Versus displays, each caregiver can know at a glance what needs to happen next during the patient’s visit. The automated communication of patient status eliminates a lot of wasted time on the phone, asking who’s where and what’s next.

Versus also communicates room status (occupied, empty, reserved, or needing cleaning), making room turnover more efficient.

“This has been fabulous in that we can all, at a glance, see if a patient arrives early, if a patient is late, how they’re doing compared to their appointment time, who’s seeing them, why they’re here, and their overall length of stay,” Fred says. “We’ve come to rely on it quite a bit in a short period of time.

Fred adds that prior to using Versus Advantages, nurses were usually in-tune with patients’ lengths of stay. But for providers, who often don’t see patients until well into their visits, length of stay wasn’t at the forefront.

“This is a nice way for all the providers in the clinic to see how long it’s taking for a patient to get through the system,” Fred says, “and maybe speed things up on that actual day—prioritizing the patients.

Based on the success of Versus Advantages at the Dresner Family Clinic, Karmanos is currently planning to expand utilization of the RTLS.

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for nearly 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $265M, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials, Karmanos is among the nation’s best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 physicians and researchers on faculty at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, Karmanos strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. Its long-term partnership with the WSU School of Medicine enhances the collaboration of critical research and academics related to cancer care. Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., is the Institute’s president and chief executive officer. For more information, visit karmanos.org.

About Versus Technology, Inc.
Established in 1988, Versus Technology, Inc. specializes in real-time location systems (RTLS) for healthcare. Used by more than 700 hospitals for enterprise patient tracking, bed management, asset tracking, and nurse call automation, Versus Advantages improves patient flow and documentation of caregiver and patient interactions, while enhancing communication and efficiency. Exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association, the Versus Advantages infrared (IR) and Active RFID solution is responsible for clinical-grade location and automation at a number of hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities worldwide. For more information, visit versustech.com.