Hey Reader,

Healthcare professionals are increasingly burdened by administrative tasks and documentation requirements, taking valuable time away from patient care. Workflow automation offers a promising solution to this challenge by leveraging technology to streamline processes and reduce manual effort. Let's explore how workflow automation, particularly when enhanced by location-based services, can improve patient care by giving caregivers more time with the patient.

TLDR: Workflow automation in healthcare, powered by location-based services and context awareness, can significantly reduce documentation burdens and give clinicians more time with patients.

Definitions:

• Workflow Automation: The application of technology to reduce or eliminate manual effort in business processes.
• ​Care Traffic Control: A concept that uses situational awareness and automation to optimize mobile workflows across healthcare enterprises.

The Details

Workflow automation in healthcare is not about replacing humans, but rather optimizing their involvement in processes. By leveraging technologies like GPS, mobile devices, and wireless networking, we can create systems that automatically capture contextual information about healthcare activities.

For example, consider how ride-hailing services like Uber have automated nearly every aspect of their process, from requesting a ride to payment. Similar principles can be applied in healthcare settings:

1. Patient transport could function like a ride-hailing service within the hospital.
2. Supply chain management could employ track-and-trace capabilities similar to FedEx or UPS.
3. Food services could operate with the efficiency of food delivery apps.

The key to effective workflow automation in healthcare lies in capturing and utilizing contextual information. This is where location-based services become crucial. By knowing the who, what, where, and when of healthcare activities, we can automate much of the documentation process.

The concept of Care Traffic Control focuses on motion and mobile workflows in healthcare. It recognizes that most orders in an EHR involve some form of movement or action. By automating the capture of contextual information related to these actions, we can significantly reduce the documentation burden on healthcare professionals.

Location-based services, particularly those leveraging the “4 Ps” (Position, Proximity, Presence, and Possession), can provide rich contextual data. For instance, if a system can detect that a nurse is in a patient’s room with a vitals machine, it can automatically infer that vitals are being taken and pre-populate much of the required documentation.

As AI continues to advance, these systems will become even more powerful. Imagine an AI assistant on a healthcare professional’s mobile device that can understand context, pre-fill documentation, and require only a simple attestation from the clinician.

Example: Consider a nurse conducting rounds in a hospital ward. Traditionally, they would need to manually document each patient interaction, including vitals checks, medication administration, and assessments. With workflow automation:

1. The system detects the nurse entering a patient’s room (Presence).
2. It recognizes the nurse’s proximity to the patient (Proximity).
3. It detects that the nurse has a medication cart (Possession).
4. The system infers that medication is being administered and automatically records the time and location.
5. The nurse only needs to confirm that the medication was given, significantly reducing documentation time.

This automation allows the nurse to spend more time interacting with the patient, improving care quality and job satisfaction.

Key Takeaways

• Workflow automation can significantly reduce documentation burdens in healthcare.
• Location-based services and context awareness enable effective healthcare workflow automation.
• Care Traffic Control concept focuses on optimizing mobile workflows in healthcare settings.
• AI-powered assistants can leverage contextual data to further streamline documentation processes.
• Implementing workflow automation can lead to more time for patient care and improved job satisfaction for healthcare professionals.

To learn more about how workflow automation and Care Traffic Control you can see more post like these Why Where Matters. Please sign up from my newsletter to learn more about this topic.

Until next week,

Paul E Zieske ​Location Based Services Consulting ​​​