How many beds are currently occupied at your inpatient facility? Which ones have patients that are due to be released soon? Can you determine which programs are using more beds? The ebb and flow of patients staying at your facility by its very nature must be somewhat unpredictable. When you have hard data on the status of each bed, you’ll be able to manage your resources much more effectively.
Patients can tell when a facility is not being managed very well, and if they have to wait an inordinate amount of time to get access to something as basic as a bed, they may become dissatisfied with your entire program. Not only can you lose out on possibly seeing these patients in the future, you may also suffer from a decline in admissions if unhappy patients spread the word about their dissatisfaction.
Does the software currently in use at your facility enable you to see at a glance such important details as the bed location, what type of bed is in a particular room and what sizes are available?
If it’s been a while since you evaluated the application your organization uses to track bed usage, you will want to read on about how the correct software can help with your inpatient bed management requirements.
Reduce Waiting Time
Keeping patients comfortable is of paramount importance, and one clear way where you can help put them at ease is by reducing the waiting time before they can be assigned a bed.
Patients understand that they have to wait, but reducing the amount of time they need to wait can help reduce their anxiety. After all, the sooner they have their room, the sooner they can begin evaluation and treatment.
It’s also important to rely on software that is easy for your staff to learn and use. This is why you will want to use bed management software that has an intuitive interface and was designed by software developers with a proven track record in medical applications.
Get Real Time Updates on Beds Status
Ideally, your bed management software will give you timely information whenever you need it. At a glance, your staff should be able to see which beds are currently available, which ones are being used, and which ones are now on hold for arriving patients.
You’ll be able to see the status of each patient at the same time across the entire enterprise. Which beds are being used by recently admitted patients? Has a patient arrived yet? Is the bed on hold? Seeing that a bed is finally open or noting that it is still deemed “not ready” will help your team take care of patients more effectively.
Tracking Beds by Program Usage
You have to generate a variety of reports on a regular basis to keep top management informed and to help you better deploy your resources.
Accordingly, your bed management application should let you track beds by such criteria as program usage. For example, you can see how many patients are using beds from your detox program or your therapeutic support system. This will let you quickly see if you need to boost staffers in one area or another. It will also give you more insight into the demographics of your patients.
When your medical organization’s operational success depends to a large degree on how well you manage your resources, specifically bed availability, it’s important to use the correct software to keep on top of all the details. You’ll need access to real-time information on the status of each bed and patient. Knowing which program each patient is covered by and having a good idea of which beds will be coming available next will help you get greater control over your facility.
Key Takeaway
- Inpatient facilities can manage their resources more effectively with bed management software.
- If it’s been a while since you’ve evaluated your bed management application, you should know that significant advances have been made that you’ll want to take advantage of.
- Real-time updates on the status of each bed and client will help your team see patients faster.
