Emergency Departments (EDs) are the busiest areas of any hospital, with care teams working quickly to assess and respond to patients with a wide range of needs. To help prioritize patients’ care needs, Brightshores is introducing new digital technology in the Southampton and Owen Sound EDs, which will make the triage process faster, easier, and more efficient.
Brightshores and the newly founded Brightshores Research Institute (BRI) are partnering with EmergConnect, a Canadian company, to introduce a digital triage process that assesses and prioritizes patients based on the severity of their condition and the urgency of care they require.
Patients can use their device or access a tablet at the two Brightshores EDs to use EmergConnect and speed up the triage process. Before seeing the triage nurse, patients can use the app to enter their symptoms, share relevant medical history and indicate the severity of their condition. The app also provides estimated wait times, helping patients stay informed about their visit.
“With this tool, patients can contribute important information in advance to help our team make informed decisions quickly,” said Rebecca Wuerth-Sarvis, Brightshores Owen Sound ED Manager. “This new digital application will also support our staff to spend more time caring for patients.”
Triage nurses receive advanced training to assess patients quickly and accurately based on a standardized scale used in EDs across Canada. Triaging ensures that patients who need immediate attention for life-saving care are seen first, while those with less urgent needs may wait longer.
“This new process will help an increased number of patients move through the ED more smoothly while also supporting our staff in delivering high-quality care,” said Melissa Wnuk, Manager of the Brightshores Southampton ED. “Using the app enhances the triage process by providing the triage nurse with important patient information to support their clinical assessment.”
Patients who cannot or do not wish to use the EmergConnect app can share their information directly with a triage nurse when they arrive at the ED.
“We want to support patients in being more informed and healthcare workers having more time to care for patients directly,” said Neil MacLean, Executive Director of BRI. “We’re interested in seeing how this technology impacts the patient and staff experiences and identifying potential opportunities to adopt this technology at other hospitals in Canada.”
This partnership is supported by the Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network. This federally-funded organization works directly with the country’s leading healthcare operators to identify their most significant challenges and match them with Canadian-made technology solutions.
Patients should call 9-1-1 in an emergency or go to the nearest ED.
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Media Contact
Alex Madill, Communications Specialist | ahmadill@brightshores.ca | 519-376-2121 ext. 2220
About Brightshores Health System
Brightshores is a regional health system that operates six hospitals in one of the largest geographic regions in Ontario. Our dedicated team of over 2,100 staff, 200 physicians, and 1000 volunteers serves a rural region home to 175,000 and thousands of seasonal residents and sees more than two million annual short-stay visitors. We offer a full range of services across Grey and Bruce counties, including 24/7 emergency care at each hospital site. As a regional centre, we provide specialized care for cancer, stroke, kidney disease, and more, ensuring patients receive the expert treatment they need close to home. Our new Wellness & Recovery Centre is recognized provincially for its innovation and leadership in mental health and addiction care. Brightshores is committed to building healthier communities one patient at a time. Learn more at www.brightshores.ca.
About Brightshores Research Institute
Based in Ontario’s Grey-Bruce region, the Brightshores Research Institute is dedicated to advancing healthcare through research and innovation that addresses the distinct needs of rural communities. By connecting researchers with essential resources and fostering collaborative partnerships, the Institute strives to develop and implement solutions that enhance the well-being of rural populations.
About EmergConnect
EmergConnect is on a mission to change how people think about same-day care and solve one of the most pressing challenges facing Canadian healthcare. In Canada, ER wait times are the longest, causing numerous issues such as increased health risks, overcrowded ERs, and patients leaving without treatment. EmergConnect offers a comprehensive solution to help address this critical challenge.
EmergConnect is a fully integrated end-to-end patient, nursing and administrator platform for at-home and in-ed patient self-assessment, registration and individualized wait time predictions. Patients input their information in their own words based on provincial and national triage guidelines, complete self-registration and get an individualized prediction of their wait time. Nurses access and approve patient information through the user-friendly EmergConnect portal and, through one click of a button, populate their existing EMR system to complete triage.
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- EmergConnect Hospital – Accelerated Triage: Enhances the triage process for patients already in the hospital.
- EmergConnect Navigator – On the Go: Directs patients to the nearest appropriate health center based on location and wait times.
- EmergConnect Paramedic: Allows paramedics to complete triage info en route to the hospital.
About CAN Health Network
The CAN Health Network is a federally funded national organization working to introduce more Canadian innovation into Canada’s health system. The Network works with leading Canadian healthcare providers – referred to as Edges – to scale Canadian technology companies across Canada and beyond. By partnering Canadian companies directly with healthcare operators, CAN Health enables these companies and their solutions to be rapidly validated, procured and scaled across the Network.