How LOGEX Pathways transformed the patient experience at Zuyderland Medisch Centrum
About the client
Zuyderland Medisch Centrum is a healthcare provider with two hospitals across two different locations in the south of the Netherlands with nearly 1000 beds.
Zuyderland in numbers:
- 42.000 submissions per year
- 845.000 visits to outpatient clinics per year
- 170.000 nursing days per year
- 86.000 day-care admissions per year
The challenge
Zuyderland initiated a tender process to replace their Siemens HIMED bedside terminals at their Sittard-Geleen location, as the HIMED environment within Zuyderland was outdated, and an increasing number of its functionalities were becoming obsolete. The Sittard-Geleen location of the Zyderland Medisch Centrum was looking for a future-proof, modern solution that included patient mobility. Crucially, the solution also had to be relatively easy to implement. And where possible, the new solution should increase the efficiency and effectiveness of in-hospital processes.
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Our cooperation with LOGEX throughout the project and in our day-to-day operations, is high-touch, considerate, involved, focused and patient-centred – a real partnership. They are always thinking with us, while sharing their extensive experience with us.
Jacques van Kerkvoort, Project Manager Zuyderland
The solution
LOGEX Pathways add-on Inpatient Comfort was selected to take up the challenge. BeagleBoxx’s mission is to increase patients’ wellbeing while improving efficiency & effectiveness for both the patient and the care provider. In short, making the best possible patient experience, a reality.
In Zuyderland, this is also organised around In Zuyderland, a better experience is organised around 3 patient-centric themes:
- Empower
- Engage
- Entertain
LOGEX Pathways add-on Inpatient Comfort offered Zuyderland a fully managed iPad, an all-inclusive lease, solution that consisted of:
- Managed iPads with the BeagleBoxx patient application.
- A fully integrated Mobile Device Management solution (Jamf)
- New bedside, wall-mounted iPads
- Specific iPad mounts allowing former HIMAD bedside placements to be reused
The following modules were included in the add-on:
- Patient entertainment including live TV, hospital broadcasting and games
- Ward-specific Information
- Room automation (lights, temperature, blinds, door)
- Internet access, video calling and notification system
- Integrated meal ordering, with connectivity to the hospital ordering systems
- Secure connectivity to hospital EHR and hospital information systems
To improve the patient experience, the add-on also included:
- Screen protection – to prevent reflection of light in the room
- Cardboard iPad holders that meant patients could use iPads hands-free, out of bed
- A caching server to minimise data consumption per iPad over the internet with updates of iOS and the apps installed
- Silicone covers (in the house style colour of the hospital) and patient headsets
The impact
We were able to roll out the first 500+ iPads in one location in 2 months, including staff training. This meant training 400 staff in just a few weeks by getting them hands-on with the iPad mobile service. This approach has proven to be very successful. It fostered awareness of what would change in their immediate environment and supported a much improved, overall patient experience.
Re-use to save costs
The solution was not to take away the arm on which the HIMEDS were installed, but instead, refurbish them with a new iPad mount—this saved time and money. It meant not having to move patients out of their rooms, open ceilings, or disassemble the entire arm. Not removing the Himed arms, saved around €500 per arm. Considering there were close to 400 of these arms, this offered Zuyderland a significant opportunity to save costs.
Preventing spillage and saving time
Zuyderland also had the ambition to save on the spillage of food and unburden service staff. The idea was to get the majority of patients to use the meal ordering functionality. Since the introduction of Beagleboxx, 60% of patients now order meals through the meal ordering module in the app. This increased the efficiency for staff, offered an improved sense of empowerment to patients, and improved the accuracy of the catering and food ordering process.
Final project result
Based on our quarterly quality reports, it has become clear that Zuyderland has achieved the objectives set out in the tender process. Perhaps even more impactful is the feedback that the total patient experience is continuously improving.
The next step with the hospital is introducing a staff calling system from the iPad—a separate new module within the Hospitals app. This will make it possible for frequently asked questions to be efficiently routed to the right person, in a timely fashion, on the correct ward. The expectation is that this will significantly reduce the time spent by staff on walking to and from patients’ rooms.
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