Versus RTLS Automates Patient Flow At Eastern Maine Medical Center
Traverse City, MI(MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- CancerCare of Maine (CCOM), operated by Eastern Maine Medical Center, recently selected the Versus Advantages solution from Versus Technology, Inc. (Versus) (PINKSHEETS: VSTI) for its new, state-of-the-art facility in Brewer, ME. The new facility opened December 14, 2009 with Advantages Clinic solution in place. The Versus solution is used to automatically communicate patient care progression, room status and to maximize efficiency through integration with other systems such as digital phones, scheduling and nurse call.
The Versus Real-time Locating System (RTLS) allows hospitals and clinics to identify unique patient needs, determine where to place the patient, notify staff of the patient's next milestone and monitor staff time with patients. Patients and staff wear locating badges that identify the individual and his or her location, which is communicated through the Versus sensory network. This technology not only helps staff locate patients and one another throughout multiple treatment areas, it also provides real-time census data, allowing facilities to monitor patient-to-staff ratios.
The same signaling technology that allows caregivers to locate one another also drives many other processes, such as real-time bed management. With patients wearing locating badges, healthcare facilities use Versus' rules-based software to automatically determine room availability (e.g., when a patient enters a room, the room is automatically identified as 'in use,' but when he leaves, the room status is set to 'dirty' and an alert is sent notifying the appropriate staff that the room is ready to be cleaned). This allows for real-time communication of room status and patient rooming needs.
Versus is keenly aware of the intervals of care and has built this awareness into the Versus Advantages Clinic solution. Versus relays patient status and stage of care to all caregivers in real-time, and staff are able to communicate key pieces of information such as "I've see Patient X" without having to pick up the phone or track someone down. At many facilities, patients may be in one of several waiting rooms depending on their lab and treatment schedule for the day. Those caregivers who need to know that the patient has received his lab result or completed his treatment are notified, and the patient progresses to the next stage of the visit more quickly. Versus helps clinics to be more efficient, which in turn allows caregivers to provide more personal care to more patients on any given day.
Maximizing staff efficiency and patient satisfaction while maintaining low operating costs are top priorities among healthcare providers. Therefore, the Versus solution is used to automatically direct staff to the next patient and to alert staff to patient and room status. Versus also helps staff clearly see which set of rooms or patients they are responsible for each day, so staff will not waste time filtering through information irrelevant to their care assignments. Versus dashboards capture Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), allowing supervisors to monitor staff time with patients, treatment times, and wait times in order to create a more efficient patient care environment.
"CancerCare of Maine has grown steadily over the years and Versus is pleased to provide our clinic workflow automation solution to enhance efficiency and patient satisfaction," says HT Snowday, Chief Technology Officer. "We enjoy working with our customers to achieve a higher quality of care and a better patient experience. Our commitment to workflow efficiencies and patient safety help make it happen." And many play a role: the Versus sensory network was installed at the new cancer center by Canfield Systems, Inc. of Scarborough, ME. It is also currently utilized for patient flow automation and volume management at EMMC's new Imaging Center and at EMMC's main hospital to automate the GE Healthcare Telligence nurse call system.
About Versus Technology, Inc.
For nearly 20 years, Versus Technology, Inc. has maintained the leadership position in the development and sale of context-aware real-time location systems (RTLS) used for enterprise patient tracking, bed management and asset tracking to improve patient flow and caregiver/patient communications in hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities. Versus also develops dual infrared and Active RFID tags and other location tracking hardware to make locating systems more precise, security systems more intelligent, nurse call systems automatic, and hospital asset tracking systems more efficient. Indoor positioning through Versus' RTLS enhances existing hospital software and patient care systems with real-time, reliable bed-level location information. The patented Versus IR and Active RFID patient and asset tracking system is exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association and is a key component of their Patient Flow Platform -- which includes a select group of vendors that provide proven solutions to enhance patient flow and improve patient safety. (www.versustech.com) (PINKSHEETS: VSTI)
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SOURCE: Versus Technology, Inc.