[news 2007 - 2008]

Kingston’s Hotel Dieu Hospital adopts software solution to conquer expected surge in demand for colonoscopy/endoscopy

New tool builds on successful hospital-developed surgical wait list management system

For immediate release

Feb. 26, 2007

KINGSTON, ON -- Doctors and patients at Kingston’s Hotel Dieu Hospital are hopeful that the adoption of a locally developed wait list management tool will see shorter wait times for patients seeking endoscopies and other non-operating diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

The software-based tool, to be installed over the next several months at Hotel Dieu, is expected to help the hospital manage the expected surge in demand for the procedures in the face of the province’s recently announced $193 million colorectal cancer screening program. The new program, which targets Ontario’s over-50 population, is expected to increase the numbers waiting for the procedure by 20 to 30 per cent.

Currently patients can wait up to two years for procedures such as colonoscopy, which uses a lighted, flexible endoscope to examine the inside of the body.

The software, Axcess.Rx™ D & T, will enable physicians and staff to streamline booking and patient preparation work, while providing up-to-the-minute information about demand for services.

“We knew the colorectal cancer screening program was on the horizon, so we made better management of our endoscopy wait lists a major priority,” says Hugh Graham, Executive Director of Hotel Dieu Hospital.

“Patients need to move through our system in the timeliest manner possible, and Axcess.Rx™ D&T will help us to manage wait lists more efficiently. Such technology is core to excellence in ambulatory care.”

Waiting lists for endoscopy procedures, which are performed in a clinic setting, are believed to be longer across Ontario than those for surgical procedures, says Dr. David Pichora, HDH chief of staff.

“However, because these waiting lists are not currently well documented it’s difficult to make the appropriate allocation of resources to them,” he says.

“This tool enables us to collect data, but it does so much more. It helps us to use that data to get a clear picture of our wait lists — to spot patients who have been waiting too long, or to pinpoint bottlenecks in the system.

“The improved prioritization, preparation, selection and booking of patients in a manner that reflects their relative needs translate into improved access for our endoscopy patients -- and also for those waiting for other non-OR procedures, such as minor plastic surgery or the removal of skin cancers.”

Originally developed at Kingston General Hospital to manage surgical wait lists, Axcess.Rx™ is now in use at hospitals in Ontario and Nova Scotia. Hospitals and physicians credit the patent-pending technology with streamlining patient management, resulting in fewer cancellations and better “flow” of patients through the continuum of care.

The inaugural software product is easily adapted to this new application, says Dr. John Marshall, CEO of AdapCS.Canada, the KGH spinoff company that developed the product. “We needed to modify the existing software because the particular workflows for non-operating room procedures such as endoscopy differ from surgical patients. These variations must be reflected in the software if it is to be useful and adopted.”

“The success of this software stems from the fact that it designed to improve the specific workflow for particular types of patients and act as standard means of communication between physicians’ offices and the hospital, Dr. Marshall says. “The use of the system in actual management of patients results in reliable and valid data. When seen by all users as a benefit, not a burden, it will be adopted and used enthusiastically.

“We’re excited about launching this new application for our software, and particularly that the partnership with Hotel Dieu Hospital extends our local base of partnership that began with Kingston General Hospital a number of years ago,” Dr. Marshall says.

Contact:
Mr. Hugh Graham
Executive Director
Hotel Dieu Hospital
P: 613. 544. 3400 x 2229
E: grahamh@hdh.kari.net

Dr. John Marshall
President & CEO
AdapCS Canada Corp.
P: 613. 531. 3008 x 202
E: jmarshall@adapcscanada.com

About ADAPCS Canada:
AdapCS Canada was founded in 2003 by Dr. John Marshall and John Lott of Kingston, Ontario and AdapCS, Inc. of Marina, California, with the assistance of PARTEQ Innovations, the technology transfer office of Kingston General Hospital and Queen’s University. AdapCS offers information technologies and services for the Canadian healthcare market that focus specifically on clinical and financial outcomes, accountability, and access to care.

About Hotel Dieu Hospital:
Hotel Dieu Hospital is a member of Kingston’s University Hospitals, which includes Kingston General Hospital and Providence Continuing Care Centre. Kingston’s University Hospitals provide a continuum of specialized health care in the region, including clinical care, research and teaching.