Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
HA Young Investigators Session (Projects to be presented by HA staff who had joined HA for 10 years or less)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Staff Engagement and Empowerment (motivating staff / teamwork / work revamp tackling manpower issue / staff wellness / OSH / retention)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Lui TM, Wong SM
Affiliation :
Occupational Therapy Department, Tung Wah Eastern Hospital
Introduction :
Within our existing in-patient service delivery model where intensive rehabilitation is conducted in department, porter service is a key chain in the work process. The present communication between clinical and administrative settings relies heavily on paper form which could be error-prone and time-consuming. Under corporate initiative on SMART hospital, this project aims to transform the communication system from paper-based into cloud-based, leveraging modern technology to streamline workflows and improve accuracy.
Objectives :
(1) to eliminate redundant clerical work and optimize workflow efficiency;
(2) to enhance accuracy by minimizing manual data entry errors; and
(3) to provide real-time accessibility through an easily accessible electronic form.
Methodology :
The conventional workflow is threefold:
1. Daily manual entry on patient information (names, wards, bed numbers, precautions, time slots) for department training on separate paper forms by therapists.
2. Supporting staff then collate all forms from various clinical teams into a single Word document for the porter team.
3. Porter team further generate labels accordingly.
Such conventional workflow, characterized by manual data entry and cross-checking, has been replaced by a digitalized workflow.
A cloud-based E-porter system was developed, utilizing HA Drive for information sharing and collaboration among multiple users without jeopardizing data privacy, enabling anytime, anywhere access. By using spreadsheet formulas, the system automatically generates accurate labels in desired format, based on updated lists provided directly by therapists.
The project follows a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. The system was established and introduced to professional staff through a briefing session, accompanied by a comprehensive user guide. Feedback was collected from staff members after trial running, followed with relevant debugging and system advancements accordingly.
Result & Outcome :
The project has received positive feedback from staff members. The traditional paper-based system was phased out, with 100% daily utilization rate of the new system in Occupational Therapy Department in TWEH by October 2023. Such resulted in time and manpower savings of 30-60 minutes per day, along with a reduction in miscommunication caused by errors in manual data entry. The successful transition signified a more efficient and accurate cloud-based porter system, simplifying the process and improving accuracy.
This improvement project demonstrates preliminary benefits of digitalization to improve service quality and streamline workflows in healthcare settings, thereby laying the groundwork for continued progress in developing a SMART workplace.
