How AZ Monica got rid of their paper processes and Excel databases and moved to a single collaborative system to coordinate care
AZ Monica is a hospital full of specialised departments. The Chronic Pain Center, run by physicians and experts of different fields, had been continuously improving their care delivery over the years but found themselves at the limits of largely paper-based processes.
Complexity and old tools came with challenges — The care team wanted to take the next step
Chronic Pain is a field of medicine that takes the physiological, the psychological, and the social into account for patient treatment. That means the experts involved come from a wide range of specialties, training backgrounds, and approaches.
Despite the hard work of streamlining complex, multidisciplinary care over the years the team lacked the right tools so were stuck with paper questionnaires and Excel files to keep track of data. There was also a need for an always up to date view on where the patient was in the pathway and what was supposed to happen next.
The team had always been committed to continuously improving care. They were conscious of the fact that the existing ways might be causing delays and redundancies in patient care. Prepared to take the next step in order to increase the quality of care they were providing, the clinic set out to implement digital care pathways with Awell.
“As any healthcare professional in a busy clinic will tell you: things can get crazy. But finding new ways to keep things organized is time-consuming — and takes time away from the patients. Awell changed that. We are now collaborating more as a team and have more time available for patients at the same time.” Martine Knaebel – AZ Monica
Finding the balance between standardization and personalized care
In a discipline as complex and delicate as Chronic Pain, where patients are typically on long-term care pathways, many treatment options exist and quality of life is the most important goal, individualised care is paramount. While the clinic was always dedicated to giving patients that individualised care, they were also aware that building each patient a unique pathway — without any degree of standardisation — was time consuming and led to unintended variation.
The clinic knew that the process could be improved. They knew that, in order to better their productivity, they’d have to add standardisation into the mix. So they sought out the technology that could help them do it.
Using Awell, the clinic initially developed three different care pathways in Awell that targeted the largest patient subgroups. The care teams could then track their patients as they progressed, and know exactly when each practitioner’s expertise would be needed — preparing them to act accordingly.
Then there was the customisation potential. In the app, practitioners could add steps and change course on the fly — allowing them to actively adapt to new findings with a specific patient. Those adjustments weren’t just easy to make and quick to implement; they were also available for the whole care team to see immediately after they were inputted.
By utilizing the platform, the clinic achieved the best of both worlds: standardisation that heightened productivity, and customisation that heightened patient care.
“With Awell, we were able to get rid of our paper processes and Excel databases, moving our entire care team into a digital solution that allows us to work in a coordinated way. By improving our collaboration, the clinicians in the team now have more time to focus on what they do best: letting their expertise shine.” Dr. Haems – AZ Monica
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