Clinical Redirection : A Step Towards More Efficient Emergency Rooms

Montreal, February 22nd, 2018 – Logibec Inc. (Logibec) has been selected by the university technology transfer organization Univalor, for the commercialization, distribution, implementation and improvement of the emergency redirection solution developed by Dr. Alexandre Messier of Hôpital Sacré-Coeur de Montréal (HSCM) and the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montréal). The agreement focuses on quickly bringing this innovative tool to the health and social services market, in order to allow all organizations and patients to benefit from a more efficient emergency room experience.

 

Logibec ER Redirection tool is based on a unique and proven medical algorithm. Using a set of medical prerequisites, the solution identifies the patients who can be safely redirected to local partner clinics for treatment, rather than keeping them waiting in the emergency room. “Our goal is to identify patients with non-urgent health problems who can be treated outside the hospital. This improves the overall patient experience, optimizes emergency room efficiency and is key in reducing the number of patients who leave without being seen,” explains Dr. Alexander Messier, Emergency Physician at HSCM.

 

The tool provides triage staff with direct access to the availabilities of neighboring clinics and the ability to book an appointment for patients directly through the application. This also allows patients to be redirected to a clinic located near their residence or where their family doctor practices.

 

“This emergency reorientation tool is key in reducing overcrowding in our emergency departments, and is providing an improved experience for patients by helping them avoid long wait times for treatment. We are investing in the development and deployment of innovative technologies such as this because we believe they are vital to driving better patient outcomes and improved clinical and financial performance for our healthcare systems,” explains Marc Brunet, Chief Executive Officer at Logibec.

 

The project was piloted at the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montréal, starting in 2015 at the HSCM and continuing in 2016 with Hôpital Fleury and Hôpital Jean-Talon. “On average, over 12,000 patients are reoriented every year. The use of the tool has proven to be very safe. We follow up with every patient that returns to the hospital. This allows us to better understand why a patient returns and thus perfect our algorithm over time,” explains Dr. Messier.

 

The project has already yielded noteworthy results: the HSCM recorded a 20-40 % decrease in overall emergency wait times for ambulatory patients, at implementation, and a reduction of over 15% in ambulatory visits. In addition, 95% of redirected patients agreed that this program should be implemented in all hospitals across the province.

 

About Logibec

For 35 years, Logibec, a portfolio company of GI Partners, has been offering innovative solutions paired with expert clinical and financial performance analysis that optimizes processes in the healthcare industry. Its software systems and consulting services are aligned with the current and future needs of healthcare facilities.

 

About CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montréal and Hôpital Sacré-Cœur de Montréal

With 26 health and social services facilities located in five boroughs in the northern part of Montréal, the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-Montréal is responsible for organizing and developing health and social services for the 436,000 Montrealers who live within its territory. It also provides specialized services to 1.8 million Quebecers in other regions, most notably in the fields of traumatology and respiratory care, cardiovascular and mental health. The CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal is affiliated with Université de Montréal, and focuses on three main areas of research: social research, research related to the mental health of children and adolescents and biomedical research.

 

The HSCM is a university-affiliated hospital that became part of the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-Montréal in 2015. It is recognized as a supraregional patient care, teaching and research centre. In addition to the specialized services offered by the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-Montréal, the HSCM also provides tertiary orthopedics and bariatric surgery, both of which they specialize in.

 

About Univalor

Univalor is a university technology transfer organization that commercializes scientific findings and technological innovations emanating from some 2,600 researchers at the Université de Montréal and its affiliated health centres, Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal, in the areas of pure and applied sciences, engineering, information technology, management sciences, life sciences, and human health. By creating links between the university and the business community, Univalor helps make businesses more competitive, generate revenue for research and, most importantly, enrich society.