Evaluating the effectiveness of the ‘patient transport’ app in improving healthcare quality, patient safety, and workflow efficiency

BACKGROUND: Patient transport is a critical component of hospital operations, requiring precise communication across departments to ensure patient safety. However, research remains limited regarding digital communication tools for patient transport, particularly for older adults, who are at a high risk of safety events. To evaluate the quality improvement, usability, and work utility of the Asan Patient Transport Team app, a smartphone application was designed to facilitate patient transport and communication in a large tertiary hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 118 patient transport staff and 62 transport requesters at Asan Medical Centre. The survey evaluated the effectiveness of the app based on six aims of the Institute of Medicine for healthcare improvement, with the addition of patient engagement and communication, resulting in a total of eight assessed domains. Usability was measured using the System Usability Scale, work utility was analysed through workflow assessment, and specific challenges related to transporting older patients were also examined. RESULTS: Effectiveness was reflected in the reported improvements in efficiency (62%), timeliness (60.9%), and patient safety (60%). The app significantly enhanced communication between transport staff and medical personnel, particularly regarding task assignments and transport status updates. Concerning older patient transport, 80.5% of transport staff identified age-specific challenges, including insufficient information about mobility status (70.3%) and communication abilities (71.2%). The staff strongly supported the need for additional patient data, particularly information on fall risk (72.9%) and monitoring device details (73.7%). The Asan Patient Transport Team app achieved a 'Good' System Usability Scale score of 73.2. The survey found that the app positively affected work utility across workflows. CONCLUSION: The Asan Patient Transport Team app demonstrates significant potential to improve patient transport efficiency, safety, and communication. While good usability and high user satisfaction are indicated, opportunities for refinements exist, particularly in addressing the unique needs of older patients. As healthcare continues to digitize, tools such as the Asan Patient Transport Team app are crucial to optimizing hospital operations and enhancing patient care.