Key-Whitman Eye Center Selects Versus Advantages RTLS For Patient Flow And Satisfaction

Following several months of research, Key-Whitman Eye Center, a leading ophthalmic services center with offices in Dallas, Plano and Arlington, has selected the Versus Advantages Real-time Locating Solution (RTLS) from Versus Technology, Inc. to improve patient flow and satisfaction. Key-Whitman will use Versus Advantages to enable real-time visibility at and across each of its three clinics.

For more than 50 years, Key-Whitman has been providing vision correction and general eye care services in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex area. The largest Key-Whitman Eye Center, in Dallas, is also an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) specializing in cataract, refractive and LASIK surgeries. There, the clinic treats 200 patients per day. The Plano and Arlington clinics average 100 and 80 patients per day, respectively.

Key-Whitman, like other clinics and hospitals, is not immune to declining CMS reimbursement. To maintain profitability, the clinic recognizes the need to increase patient throughput while maintaining high patient satisfaction (HCAHPS). Like many other Versus clients, Key-Whitman understands that EHR implementation alone is not enough to drive this level of efficiency. In fact, the additional documentation requirements can add to staff workload. However, Versus removes the onus of documentation placed on skilled staff.

By providing patients and staff with Versus badges (small, dual-technology  badges that emit unique Infrared and RFID locating signals), Versus automatically records interaction with the patient, notifying all of what has happened with the patient and what still needs to happen—all while recording the time it takes to complete each treatment interval. Just as the EHR is important for documenting patient care and outcomes, an accurate RTLS is important for improving the patient experience and operational efficiency—both of which impact patient satisfaction.

Understanding patient progression and staff workflows are key to eliminating waste. “We want the real-time ‘in-flight’ status to help identify roadblocks and ensure control over current work in progress,” says Dan Chambers, Chief Administrative Officer. “The RTLS will help us operate more efficiently as we’ll know room status, patient status and physician availability at a glance.” With Versus Advantages, Key-Whitman aims to:
• Increase throughput and improve productivity given the available resources;
• Systematically monitor and reduce patient wait times in the office waiting rooms, dilation areas, surgical areas of LASIK and ASC;
• Reduce patient cycle times (system entry / exit for patients) for various visit types;
• Optimize resources for delivering care and documenting medical activities;
• Boost patient satisfaction levels in all areas; and
• Improve profitability and cost-effectiveness by achieving stated goals.

Known for its open integration platform, Versus’ RTLS will integrate to MedEvolve, the clinics’ practice management system, to enable hands-free documentation and increase data availability for patient monitoring by staff. This integration will also help Key-Whitman develop a scheduling template to balance and improve the pace of work for staff. Chambers explains, “We currently have patients coming in thinking they just need a simple eye exam and a prescription upgrade, but they often require a more detailed eye exam and specialized services. We must adjust our services on-the-fly to the patient’s exam needs, but it can impact our timeliness with other patients.”

The Versus Advantages RTLS will minimize the typical peaks and valleys of staff workloads often correlating with these extended exam times which cause missed lunch breaks for staff and complaints from other patients about delays. By creating a more accurate scheduling template, Key-Whitman hopes to improve patient satisfaction from an already high average of 88% and improve staff morale by eliminating stress caused by patient scheduling conflicts and unrealistic time allowances.

An additional integration to Simcad Process Simulator, a software system that facilitates predictive modeling and scenario-based simulations, will allow Key-Whitman to record the quantifiable data necessary to produce detailed reports for trend identification. This, along with Reports Plus Analytics from Versus will further enhance Key-Whitman’s scheduling and decision-making capabilities.

With the 2014 EHR mandate set by the HITECH Act, the RTLS integration to Simcad is important to Key-Whitman for several reasons. One, Key-Whitman believes that real, accurate data will advance the design concepts of patient flow and staff workflow models. Second, importing RTLS data will assist with simulation testing of those models to analyze improved business performance.

“It comes down to good data in, good data out,” says Susan Thomas, Director of Operations for Key-Whitman. “Using the Versus RTLS to passively collect and monitor actual staff utilization and patient flow data will create a real-time, operational picture that we can then use to address bottlenecks and resource deployment. It’s essential for lean management.”

“It’s always exciting to work with healthcare organizations like Key-Whitman,” says Susan Pouzar, Vice President of Sales, Versus. “Like Versus, they’re leaders in their own right, and they understand the value of bringing technology and software like Versus’ RTLS into the practice to improve patient flow and operational efficiency.”

Healthcare organizations interested in the Versus Advantages RTLS can learn more at Epic’s 2012 Users’ Group Meeting in Verona, Wisconsin, September 10-13th or at the Medical Group Management Association’s (MGMA) 2012 Annual Conference, October 21-24th in San Antonio, Texas.

About Key-Whitman
Key-Whitman Eye Center is a renowned laser eye center that offers services related to eye laser surgery. The primary office is located at 2801 Lemmon Avenue in Dallas, TX 75204 with satellite offices in Plano and Arlington. For more information, visit keywhitman.com.

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.