TAMPA, Fla — Six months ago Tampa General Hospital (TGH) launched CareComm, a centralized system that manages patient data and makes sure the hospital runs efficiently. Now, it is the key tool the hospital is using to fight COVID-19.
"The premise behind it was really around finding a way to operate the hospital at the highest level of efficiency and safety for our patients," explained Dr. Peter Chang, the vice president of care transition at Tampa General Hospital.
CareComm has helped dramatically decrease patients' stays at TGH.
"We want to look at how long a patient should be here, and hit that target. So since we've started CareComm, we've been able to eliminate 14,000 excess days," Dr. Chang said. That means that on average, an individual now spends three less days at the hospital.
"So when we look at situational awareness, that's part of having all of that data to know which patients you can shift. And we've actually created co-located units for all of our COVID patients," Chang explained.
With all who test positive for COVID-19 in one part of the hospital, it allows health care workers to "preserve some of the PPE in between patient care. That's been a huge advantage. It also decreased the bioburden of the virus, and focuses it down to one place inside of the hospital."
CareComm helped to identify the best location for COVID-care.
"CareComm was also at the center of closing down an entire floor on our Bayshore pavilion" Dr. Chang explained. "And moving those patients to other places in the hospital to make that entire unit negative pressure."
A step to keep those seeking non-COVID care at the hospital safe.
"And so essentially what that is, is there is negative pressure inside of the patient's room, that when the seal is broken, and the door is opened, outside air from the hallway is sucked into the room and filtered and exhausted. And no air is leaving the patient's room that could expose other patients or healthcare workers here at TGH," Dr. Chang said.
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