Smart Crowding AS

"After four months using SmartCrowding, waiting times were cut by 50%"

"Our corridor patient volume is now consistently at ZERO... something we never thought would be possible”

Stavanger University Hospital

The Solution

SmartCrowding is already successful in Norway and applicable to any ward where patient flow is a priority.

Emergency healthcare is where SmartCrowding is most needed and where it will have the greatest impact. However, we are not limited to emergency wards – SmartCrowding is even used in psychiatric facilities.

Our key purpose is to provide up-to-date information on activity volume, resource utilisation and bottlenecks of flow. This allows staff to make informed projections and decisions.

Our ultimate aim is to mitigate overcrowding, the rate of hospital-acquired infections and delays in treatment. SmartCrowding provides transparency to the decision-making process, alleviates stress to patients and staff, and improves trust between wards, departments and hospitals.

Development

Decision-makers at Stavanger University Hospital developed algorithms detailing peaks of flow and the interventions required at critical points. They addressed important questions, such as "what determines high activity?" and "What type of help do we need at each level of activity?"
Three parameters were defined for each ward or department;
Indicators of overcrowding.
The level of activity at which actions need to be considered.
The roles and responsibilities of each action.
The tool proved to be extremely effective in mitigating problems with patient flow.
The application of software and improved data management has aided access and provided better visualisation of status and actions.
When staff needs were combined with data management, SmartCrowding was created.