Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital introduces digital outpatient flow management technology
The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne is set to launch a suite of new digital technology to help improve the way it manages Specialist Clinic appointments.
The hospital, which cares for more than 220,000 patients per year, has partnered with UK based digital healthcare technology specialist, Intouch with Health, and the company’s Australian partner, Device Technologies, to implement the project which will overhaul the way the hospital manages the movement of patients during their appointments and gives staff improved access to information using new digital solutions to replace some paper-based processes.
As part of the project, staff at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital will use a new, central digital dashboard to view the location of each Specialist Clinic patient and monitor the progress of their appointment in real-time. Intouch with Health’s Flow Manager dashboard will also allow hospital staff to access a form where they can book and manage the capacity of rooms across the hospital and maximise room usage. Hospital management will also benefit from a specialist analysis solution which allows monitoring and pro-active management of the service in line with key performance indicators.
“The technology will improve the experience of patients visiting for an appointment by providing them with access to information and updates throughout their appointment.”
New patient-facing technology at the hospital will include self-check-in kiosks to allow patients to register their arrival and digital patient calling screens in clinic waiting areas that will alert patients when their clinician is ready to see them.
New technology will also be deployed that automatically pushes alerts to patients to update them on possible delays to their appointment, as well as electronic wayfinding maps to help patients find their way around the hospital more efficiently.
Improving the way clinicians record the results of a patient’s appointment, the hospital will move away from paper-based records and introduce Intouch’s eOutcomes module to record appointment information digitally and improve data accuracy.
Commenting on the project Tracy Siggins, Acting Executive Director Operations at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, said: “This project is about taking a holistic view of the Specialist Clinic journey at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and introducing digital solutions to improve the end-to-end Specialist Clinic journey for both patients and staff.
“The technology will improve the experience of patients visiting for an appointment by providing them with access to information and updates throughout their appointment, whether it's through the kiosks, digital calling screens or wait time manager to let them know if things are running on time or slightly behind schedule.
Pete Beaumont, Sales Director at Intouch with Health, said: “Intouch with Health is delighted to have been chosen alongside Device Technologies to partner the world-renowned Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital on their digital transformation journey.
“We are proud to be part of the hospital redevelopment to deliver a world-class experience for both patients and hospital staff alike.”
About The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital is Australia’s only specialist eye, ear, nose and throat hospital, having cared for Victorians and improving their quality of life for over 150 years.
The hospital operates from a central hub in East Melbourne and also provides support for service delivery in other outpatient and community settings in Victoria and via telemedicine facilities. As the largest public provider of ophthalmology and ENT services in Victoria, the Royal Victorian delivers more than half of Victoria’s public eye surgery and all of Victoria’s public cochlear implants and sees over 220,000 patients a year.
About Device Technologies
Since 1992, Device Technologies has been dedicated to improving patient’s lives through leading edge technology and services.
Successfully supplying hospitals and healthcare professionals with the finest medical solutions for their patients, Device Technologies continues to grow, with over 200 trusted brands and 850 highly skilled staff Australia and New Zealand-wide. Leading the way in the medical technology field, Device Technologies provides the highest calibre of medical supplies – with innovation and client care at the core of its values.
Find out more
For more information on The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, please visit their website here.
