ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Physician shift schedules are regularly created manually, using paper or a shared online spreadsheet. Mistakes are not unusual, leading to last minute scrambles to cover a shift. We developed a web-based shift scheduling system and a mobile application tool to facilitate both the monthly scheduling and shift exchanges between physicians. The primary objective was to compare physician satisfaction before and after the mobile application implementation. METHODS: Over a 9-month period, three surveys, using the 4-point Likert type scale were performed to assess the physician satisfaction. The first survey was conducted three months prior mobile application release, a second survey three months after implementation and the last survey six months after. RESULTS: 51 (77%) of the physicians answered the baseline survey. Of those, 32 (63%) were males with a mean age of 37.8 ± 5.5 years. Prior to the mobile application implementation, 36 (70%) of the responders were using more than one method to carry out shift exchanges and only 20 (40%) were using the official department report sheet to document shift exchanges. The second and third survey were answered by 48 (73%) physicians. Forty-eight (98%) of them found the mobile application easy or very easy to install and 47 (96%) did not want to go back to the previous method. Regarding physician satisfaction, at baseline 37% of the physicians were unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with shift scheduling. After the mobile application was implementation, only 4% reported being unsatisfied (OR = 0.11, p < 0.001). The satisfaction level improved from 63% to 96% between the first and the last survey. Satisfaction levels significantly increased between the three time points (OR = 13.33, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our web and mobile phone-based scheduling system resulted in better physician satisfaction.
Subject(s)
Physicians/psychology , Adult , Appointments and Schedules , Attitude of Health Personnel , Female , Health Care Surveys/methods , Humans , Male , Mobile Applications , Personal Satisfaction , Physician-Patient RelationsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact of the telemedicine application on the clinical process of care and its different effects on hospital culture and healthcare practice. METHODS: The concept of telemedicine through real time audio-visual coverage was implemented at two different hospitals in São Paulo: a secondary and public hospital, Hospital Municipal Dr. Moysés Deutsch, and a tertiary and private hospital, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. RESULTS: Data were obtained from 257 teleconsultations records over a 12-month period and were compared to a similar period before telemedicine implementation. For 18 patients (7.1%) telemedicine consultation influenced in diagnosis conclusion, and for 239 patients (92.9%), the consultation contributed to clinical management. After telemedicine implementation, stroke thrombolysis protocol was applied in 11% of ischemic stroke patients. Telemedicine approach reduced the need to transfer the patient to another hospital in 25.9% regarding neurological evaluation. Sepsis protocol were adopted and lead to a 30.4% reduction mortality regarding severe sepsis. CONCLUSION: The application is associated with differences in the use of health services: emergency transfers, mortality, implementation of protocols and patient management decisions, especially regarding thrombolysis. These results highlight the role of telemedicine as a vector for transformation of hospital culture impacting on the safety and quality of care.
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care/methods , Organizational Culture , Patient Safety , Quality of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Telemedicine , Ancillary Services, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Critical Care/methods , Emergency Medical Services/methods , Female , Hospital Mortality/trends , Humans , Information Dissemination/methods , Length of Stay , Male , Middle Aged , Quality of Health Care/trends , Telemedicine/organization & administration , Telemedicine/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Objective To describe the impact of the telemedicine application on the clinical process of care and its different effects on hospital culture and healthcare practice. Methods The concept of telemedicine through real time audio-visual coverage was implemented at two different hospitals in São Paulo: a secondary and public hospital, Hospital Municipal Dr. Moysés Deutsch, and a tertiary and private hospital, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. Results Data were obtained from 257 teleconsultations records over a 12-month period and were compared to a similar period before telemedicine implementation. For 18 patients (7.1%) telemedicine consultation influenced in diagnosis conclusion, and for 239 patients (92.9%), the consultation contributed to clinical management. After telemedicine implementation, stroke thrombolysis protocol was applied in 11% of ischemic stroke patients. Telemedicine approach reduced the need to transfer the patient to another hospital in 25.9% regarding neurological evaluation. Sepsis protocol were adopted and lead to a 30.4% reduction mortality regarding severe sepsis. Conclusion The application is associated with differences in the use of health services: emergency transfers, mortality, implementation of protocols and patient management decisions, especially regarding thrombolysis. These results highlight the role of telemedicine as a vector for transformation of hospital culture impacting on the safety and quality of care.
RESUMO Objetivo Analisar o impacto da aplicação de telemedicina no processo clínico de cuidado e seus diferentes efeitos sobre a cultura hospitalar e na prática assistencial. Métodos O conceito de telemedicina, por meio de uma cobertura integral em tempo real, foi implementada em dois hospitais diferentes em São Paulo, um secundário e público, o Hospital Municipal Dr. Moysés Deutsch, e um terciário e privado, o Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. Resultados Os dados foram obtidos a partir de 257 teleconsultas registradas ao longo de um período de 12 meses e comparados a igual período antes da implementação. Em 18 pacientes (7,1%), a telemedicina influenciou no diagnóstico e, para 239 pacientes (92,9%), a consulta contribuiu para o manejo clínico. Após a implementação da telemedicina, o protocolo de trombólise para acidente vascular cerebral foi aplicado em 11% dos pacientes com acidente vascular cerebral. A introdução da telemedicina reduziu a necessidade de transferir pacientes para avaliação neurológica externa em 25,9%. O protocolo de sepse foi adotado, sendo observada redução da mortalidade em 30,4% nos casos de sepse grave. Conclusão A aplicação da telemedicina está associada com diferenças na utilização dos serviços de saúde: transferências, mortalidade, implementação de protocolos e apoio à decisão médica, especialmente em relação à trombólise. Estes resultados destacam o papel da telemedicina como um vetor de transformação da cultura hospitalar e seu impacto sobre a segurança e na qualidade assistencial.
