Emergency Departments have been the hardest hit during the last couple of years with COVID-19 cases being in flux and on the rise. This has raised concerns for non-related visits thus throwing patients into further panic(demic) since accessing care has everyone scrambling.

What did the Hospital do to support more efficient patient flow, ensuring they can continue to care for its community?

They launched the following digital platforms:

• An online Emergency Department (ED) pre-registration form – allows you to register for emergency care at both Osler's Brampton Civic Hospital and Etobicoke General Hospital. The form option is available to all ED walk-in patients at the time of their visit via a QR code displayed throughout both EDs. Thus giving patients the power to streamline their care and access it.
• ED Wait Clocks – allows patients to plan ahead and estimate time/waitlists in their hospitals. This helps reduce the stress levels for their clients who now are in the loop about potential opportunities to receive care.
• Digital Patient Engagement platform – launched in 2021 in partnership with SeamlessMD guides patients before and after their surgical procedures with education, progress tracking and symptom monitoring accessed via their personal devices (i.e. smartphone, tablet, or computer). This is being supported in multiple languages to better support their community partners. As of September last year 3,400 patients have benefited from this with 88% recommending them to other patients.

The need to integrate care and ensure it is patient centered has always been a priority for most Hospitals strategic plans. William Osler Health Systems took this one step further with seamless, innovative and advanced technology. Thus enhancing the use of technology to build on positive and patient inspired confidence in health care. To read more about this, click here.