2010 Award Winner

Transport Remote Access Care (TRAC) system

Category - Improving Safety

The Problem

The transferring of critically ill patients between hospitals can often present serious challenges for the transport team, particularly since there is seldom a physician on the team. Previously, team members have relied on medical advice they receive online, as well as through telephone conversations with doctors on the receiving end. Patient safety has depended on the ability of transport clinicians to properly interpret clinical and diagnostic data, with the help of a physician on the telephone to whom they are describing that data.

The Innovation

The Hospital for Sick Children and Sudbury Regional Hospital have partnered with Dapasoft, a computer software company, to create the Transport Remote Access Care (TRAC) system. This new system helps the SickKids' Acute Care Transport Service (ACTS) team provide safe and stable transport of critically ill newborns from one hospital to the next. The TRAC system automatically gathers patient vital signs and clinical data during the transport process, using a webcam and computer mounted on the "transport deck" to transmit vital signs and patient data directly to SickKids for viewing by the responsible physician. Those responsible for the infant's care during transport, even have access to live video feed of the patient, enhancing their ability to assess and treat appropriately.

The Results

The introduction of the TRAC system has dramatically enhanced communication between transport teams and the physicians responsible for treating the arriving patients. SickKids arranges the transport of some 800 critically ill infants every year from more than 100 referral hospitals to one of the tertiary units in southern Ontario, and all of these transports should benefit from more rapid stabilization times, fewer unnecessary diagnostic tests and treatments and potentially fewer medication or other documentation errors as a result of the TRAC system.

Next Steps

Not only is the TRAC system ideal for transportation, it can also be used to improve communication between and even within hospitals. It is ideal for hospitals and clinics where multiple patients can be monitored remotely by limited medical personnel. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre intend to use this application mounted on a cart at the beside of a patient who requires consultation with a subspecialty service at SickKids. In addition, the Peel Civic Hospital will trial the applicability to their setting with a demonstration project planned with William Osler Health Center for consultation services between the level 2 and level 3 facilities.