Launch TeleTracking and input your User Login ID and Password. Click the Sign In button.

From the Clinical Operations menu, click the PatientTracking Portal™ option.

From the Select Membership box, choose the unit you are working on. Click save.

You will now see the view for your designated unit.

In the upper-right corner of the page, click the sign-out or end-session link.

Managing bed requests is an essential piece of patient flow. There are primarily two types of bed request scenarios that Nursing Units see, admissions to the unit and transfers out. Ensuring that both types of requests are handled appropriately is critical to help ensure that patients are being placed in the most safe and efficient way. In this section, we will discuss the role that Nursing Units play in each type of request and provide details on all functionality required.

Admissions to Nursing Units come from a variety of areas including the ED, Procedural Areas, Direct Admits, and Transfers from other units. With any admission to a unit, it is important to understand that the area the patient is coming from is responsible for entering the request into the system. However, even though Nursing Units are not making the request, they still play a key role in the overall process. Admissions follow the same basic process:

In this section, you will learn how to understand the Patient/Placement Details form for patients coming to your unit, prioritize beds for Patient Placement to assign beds, and how to communicate using Instant Notify

When a bed request is first entered into TeleTracking, Patient Placement is the first group to get notified. Once they review the details of the request, they decide based on the information provided as to which unit to Target. Once a unit is Targeted, that unit receives a notification informing them of the admission and now they can view the same patient details that Patient Placement could see. Let’s review how to view this information.

When a patient is Targeted to a unit, the record is displayed at the bottom of the Unit Tab in Patient Tracking Portal with a Status (ST) of R+.

Once the request is identified, click the patient name to open the Patient/Placement Details box.

Information that can be viewed includes:

NOTE:

Once you know about the new patient coming to your unit, make sure Bed Assignment Priorities are accurate.

Bed Assignment Priorities are a simple tool that allows Nursing Units to communicate their preference for bed assignment orders to Patient Placement. Setting priorities will greatly reduce phone calls needed regarding bed requests. Priorities allow Nursing Units to remain in control of where patients are being placed. If priorities are not set, Patient Placement will make an educated decision based on the provided patient information and current bed availability on the unit.

Using priorities helps facilitate patient flow by allowing Patient Placement to quickly assign beds, meaning patients can safely continue their care journey and make room for new patients arriving at the hospital to get the care they need.

To set a Bed Assignment Priority, click on the desired Bed number from the Unit tab in Patient Tracking Portal. A pop-up window will appear.

Choose the appropriate Bed Assignment Priority you wish to set. Priorities range from 1-9.

Once the priority is set, you will see the priority number displayed to the left of the bed number.

To change a Bed Assignment Priority, click on the desired Bed number.

Choose the new Bed Assignment Priority.

Once the priority is set, you will see the updated number displayed to the left of the bed number.

To cancel a Bed Assignment Priority, click on the desired bed number. A pop-up window will appear.

Use the scrollbar to find Remove Bed Assignment Priority.

Once set, the priority will be removed.

NOTE:

Instant Notify is a quick way to send non-urgent messages to groups like Patient Placement and Admitting. By using Instant Notify you are helping to reduce phone traffic to these busy areas, allowing them to focus on urgent matters. An example of when it would be appropriate to send an Instant Notify would be to let Patient Placement know a room needed to be blocked for maintenance. Instant Notify should not be used to communicate emergencies.

Click the Instant Notify icon to open the Instant Notify dialog box.

In the Search Users and Groups field, type a few letters of the User or Group to find the recipient. Repeat the process for additional recipients.

Type the contents in the Message section then click Send. You will see a notification at the top of the box that confirms the message has been sent.

Click cancel when finished to close the Instant Notify box.

NOTE:

Access the Screen Alerts dialog box by clicking on the Alerts icon at the top of the screen.

The Screen Alerts webpage opens. To the right of each received message are two columns, Reply and Reply All. Click the appropriate option.

Compose the message and click, Send.

As patients’ conditions change, there might be a need to transfer the patient to a new unit. Transfer requests account for a large amount of patient movement within a hospital and managing these transfers is a delicate task for Patient Placement. It is important to understand that when a patient needs to transfer, that patient is tying up two beds, the one they are currently in, and the bed they are getting transferred to. Following the proper TeleTracking process and functionality will ensure transfers occur efficiently to free up one of the beds. In this section, you will learn about the key steps in the Transfer process including, creating the bed request and activating the RTM Timer.

In Patient Tracking Portal, identify the patient on the Unit tab

Left-click on the ‘IH’ in the ST column and select, Create Bed Request

The Patient/Placement Details box will open.

NOTE:

Update/Verify the following data items in the Patient/Placement Details box.

Level of Care: Select from drop-down.

Bed Custom Attributes: if applicable

Isolation: Select from drop-down

Patient Custom Attributes:

Comments: Free Text communication section

NOTE:

The RTM Timer is an important patient flow tool that allows Patient Placement to assign ‘Ready Beds to Ready Patients’

Once bed requests are entered into the system, Patient Placement will actively start looking for the most appropriate unit for the patient based on the information provided in the bed request.

A final bed assignment will NOT be provided until the sending area sets the patient as ‘Clinically Ready to Move’.

From the Unit Tab, find the correct patient record and look for the column labeled RTM@.

Single click on the field to set the timer. You will now see a time display in the field.

NOTE:

From the Unit tab, find the correct patient record and look for the column labeled RTM@.

Single click on the drop-down arrow in the field.

Select the appropriate time.

You will now see the time display in the RTM@ field.

NOTE:

Discharge planning serves as the foundation for systematic, effective patient flow. Expected, planned, coordinated, and completed patient discharges improve patient care, and satisfaction, and create stability in hospital capacity. Without effective discharge planning, a hospital would be unable to meet admission demand. Hospitals depend on Nursing Units and Case Management to facilitate discharges but keeping an open communication with Patient Placement is also a critical step in the process. Discharge planning tools will enable users to effectively update discharge activity and communicate to all areas impacted by patient discharges including Patient Placement and EVS.

There are two types of discharge statuses that a patient can be in, a Pending Discharge or a Confirmed Discharge.

Pending Discharge: an educated decision from the Nursing Unit or Case Management that a patient may be discharged within the next 24 hours. Pending Discharges are represented by:

Confirmed Discharge: a written order that a patient will be discharged. Confirmed Discharges are represented by:

To set a Pending or Confirmed Discharge, click on the ST column for the appropriate patient.

Choose either Set Confirmed Discharge or Set Pending Discharge.

A pop-up box will appear confirming the action.

Update the Projected Discharge date and time to the best estimate. This is only used as a guideline to help Patient Placement know when the bed might be vacated.

Click Save

The patient’s ST column will now display the appropriate status.

The Milestones column will also now display for the patient.

Milestones are hospital requirements that need to be met before a patient can be discharged. As these Milestones are met, Nursing Units and Case Management can set them as complete, or if there is an issue with completing, a Delay Reason can be identified. This practice is an important part of discharge communication for several reasons. As Milestones are updated, this information can be seen by Patient Placement, Case Management, and the Nursing Unit staff. This transparency helps reduce the amount of phone calls between these areas regarding updates on a patient’s discharge status. Another benefit of using Milestones is the data that can be captured related to discharges. Each time a Delay Reason is identified, a record of the delay and the amount of time the patient was in a delay status is recorded. This is important for Nursing because it can help to explain why some discharges aren’t moving as quickly as they should. Delays come in all forms and most are out of the Nursing Unit's control. Family delays, nursing home searches, arranging home health, and transportation issues are all examples of barriers to an efficient discharge that are important to document using Milestones. Having the ability to capture data related to delays will enable hospitals to not only identify barriers but also take action on improving processes related to internal delays.

Click on the Milestone bar to open the Discharge Milestone box.

To make a Milestone complete, place a checkmark in the box to the left of the Milestone name.

To select a Delay Reason, click on the drop-down menu for the appropriate Milestone. The notes column is a free text field that you can use if needed.

Click Save once finished.

The Milestones bar will now reflect the changes.

Hover over the Milestone bar to get additional details.

NOTE:

If you set a delay, there is also an option to send an alert to a user or group regarding the delay. This is not required functionality, but it is very useful if you need to bring a delay to someone’s attention.

In the lower right corner of the Milestone box, Click the Send Notifications button.

In Search Users and Groups, find the user or group you wish to send the message to

Type Message

If you wish to Include Patient Information in the message, check the box in the upper left corner.

Click Send

Set Hold Start Time ("Allow to start Hold" permission required. Not available for patients in Discharged or Visit Cancelled statuses.)

NOTE:

If you want to increase the amount of time that a patient is in a behavioral hold, do the following:

NOTE:

Access the Hold Timer dialog box.

Click Cancel Hold.

Click Apply.

Access the Hold Timer dialog box.

In the Actual Stop Time box, type the date that hold stopped in the format shown OR click the calendar icon and select a month and a date.

In the box to the right of the calendar icon, type the time that hold stopped in the following format ##:## AM or PM OR click Set Now if observation stopped at the current time.

Click Apply.

NOTE:

To request Transport for a patient, find the appropriate patient and click on the Transport Status icon.

The Patient Transport History dialog displays. Click on the Add Patient Request button.

The Transport Request will open. The following fields will need to be addressed:

Click on the magnifying glass icon, next to each field. The Find a Location box will appear

In the Search Text field, type the name/room # of the location.

Click in the Check All box to select all units.

Click the Click to Search button. You will see the search results in the Location Results box.

Click on the location and it will highlight Blue. Click on the Select Location Button. You will now see your location displayed in the Origin or Destination field.

Select the appropriate Mode of Travel from the menu.

Verify that the Isolation is correct

NOTE:

Pending – The Job will be sent to the first available transporter.

Appointment – The job is entered for a specific time. The system will release the job prior to the scheduled time to ensure the patient arrives on time.

Possible – The job is entered into the system but will not be an active request until the job is manually released.

To set, highlight requirements in the Available box.

Use the arrow to move to the Selected box.

This can also be done in reverse to remove items.

Now that the fields are completed, click on Save to complete the request. At the top of the Transport Request box, you will now see the job displaying the Job Status you selected.

Allows you to add an additional stop in the transport request. For example, if a patient needs to go to CT and MRI before returning to their room.

Once the request is entered, click on the Add to Sequence button below the Job Status.

You will now be prompted to enter the additional destination.

Once completed, the second job will remain in a Possible status until it is Released.

Allows you to add a job in the system to return the patient to the Origin location of the first job. For example, if the patient goes to CT they will be returning to their room once the CT is over. The second job will remain in a Possible status until it is Released.

Once the request is entered, click the Return Patient button.

The Return Job will now display as a Possible job.

Allows for the Transport job to be canceled and removed from the list of transport requests.

Click on the Cancel button in the Transport Request.

You will now be prompted to select a Reason Code to explain why the job needs to be canceled.

In Capacity IQ® Transport click on the Item Trans icon from the toolbar at the top of the screen.

The Item Transport Request box will display. Complete the following fields:

NOTE:

Click Save. You will now see the job in a Pending Status.

If Capacity IQ® Transport is being used, as transporters complete jobs, the patient’s Current Location will automatically display in the Unit tab of PatientTracking Portal™. Depending on your hospital’s design, this will either show below the Bed Number or in a separate column labeled Current Location. However, if a patient is not taken by a transporter, or if you are not using Capacity IQ® Transport, you can manually change a patient’s Current Location by using the Send/Return Patient from Procedure functionality.

Find the patient on the Unit Tab in Patient Tracking Portal and click on the ST column.

Choose Send Patient to Procedure from the drop-down menu.

In the Spec Location field, start to type the name of the location and you will see the options. Once you find the right location, click Save.

You will now see the Current Location update. This will either appear below the bed number or in the Current Location column depending on your hospital’s design.

If the patient has returned and the current location has not been updated, click on the patient’s ST column.

Choose Return Patient from Procedure from the drop-down menu.

The Return Patient from Procedure box will open, review the information and click Save.

The Current Location is now updated.

Screen Alerts are a communication tool that can be used to receive bed request notifications and Instant Notification messages. Although most units have a designated notification device, it is often carried by the Charge Nurse. Screen Alerts are a great alternative for any user who wants to receive the same notifications as the unit device., especially Unit Clerks. Using Screen Alerts will help reduce the amount of phone calls related to bed requests, allowing nursing unit staff to focus on patient care without constant interruption.

From the home screen, click on the My Notifications tab to display the Delivery Methods section.

In the Deliver My Notifications Via section, click the gray Disabled button. It will now show Enabled and will be Green.

Click Save.

Once saved, click Sign Out in the top right corner of the screen and Log back in.

You will now see the Alerts button at the top of your screen.

You will see the following potential Alert activity:

NOTE:

As patients are discharged the beds will automatically dirty and notify EVS staff in TeleTracking. However, on rare occasions, a bed might need to be dirtied manually. This action can be completed on beds that are Occupied or Clean.

From the Unit Tab, click on the Bed Number and select Bed Information from the menu.

Once in Bed Information, Click on the Bed Status button.

A new box will open, click on the Action drop-down and select, Create Cleaning Request.

Once selected, you will see the New Status column available. Select the appropriate status and then click, Submit.

The Bed Status will be updated to show the new status.

If EVS staff is no longer needed to clean a bed, it must be canceled in the system. When a cleaning request is canceled, a Reason Code explaining why the request needed to be canceled is required.

From the Unit Tab, click on the Bed Number and select Bed Information from the menu.

Once in Bed Information, Click on the Bed Status button.

A new box will open, click on the Action drop-down and select, Cancel.

Once selected, you will see the Reason Code column available. Select the appropriate reason and then click, Submit.

The Bed Status will be updated to show the new status.

A spill clean is a request to EVS staff for a task that needs to be completed for a bed that is in either a Clean or Occupied status. This could range from a simple mop-up or even replenishing soap. Your hospital has defined the specific spill types seen in your system.

From the Unit Tab, click on the Bed Number and select Bed Information from the menu.

Once in Bed Information, Click on the Bed Status button.

A new box will open, click on the Action drop-down and select, Create Spill Request.

Once selected, you will see the Spill Type column available. Select the appropriate option and then click, Submit.

The Bed Status will update to show a Spill status to the right of the current status.

If EVS staff is no longer needed to complete a spill clean on a bed, it must be canceled in the system.

From the Unit Tab, click on the Bed Number and select Bed Information from the menu.

Once in Bed Information, Click on the Bed Status button.

A new box will open, click on the Action drop-down and select Cancel Spill Request. A reason code is not required to cancel a Spill Clean.

Click, Submit.

The Spill request icon is now removed from the Bed Status.

Staff Assignment functionality allows unit staff to assign their caregivers to specific patients. Utilizing this functionality provides several benefits for Nursing Units. For units using an electronic whiteboard, the names of the caregivers will be displayed for all unit staff to see. Completing Staff Assignments will also allow requesting units like the ED to see the caregivers which provides them with the information needed in order to call report. Staff Assignments are also reportable and can be used to help assist Charge Nurses in determining staff assignments as well as determining all the caregivers that a patient had during their entire admission.

The first time a unit needs to set Staff Assignments, a Staff List will need to be created. Once a user is added to the Staff List, they will remain on the list for the next time Staff Assignments need to be completed. This means that setting Staff Assignments becomes an easier task from day to day as you build a pool of caregivers to choose from.

To build the Staff List, click on the Staff Assignment icon.

When the first user on a unit accesses Staff Assignments, a message will appear stating that ‘your staff list is empty’. (If users are added to the list already, the names of the users will appear instead).

To add users to the list, click Edit Staff List.

An Edit Staff List search field will appear. Click in the field and start typing the name you wish to add. As you begin to type, your results will narrow down. Click on the correct name.

Once the user is added they will populate below the search field.

Continue this process for all adding all users. Click Done when complete.

Once saved, an option for a caregiver’s phone extension will appear.

Staff can be deleted from the Staff List by clicking on the delete icon next to their names while in the Edit Staff window.

Caregivers like Agency Nurses will not always be found when building the Staffing List, but they can still be added to the system as Temp Staff.

From the Edit Staff List box, click on the Manage Temp Staff button.

Fill in the staff member's First Name, Last Name, and Position. If the staff is Agency, be sure to check the Agency Staff box.

Click, Create when complete.

You will now see the Temp Staff added to the Staff List with a blue diamond next to their name.

Click done to save the Staff List.

Once the Staff List is built, caregivers can be assigned.

Click the correct caregiver shift. It will display a dark gray.

From the Staff List, click the caregiver to highlight. Then click in the Nurse/Assistant column for the correct bed. You will see the caregiver's name displayed.

Continue the process for all other caregivers.

Click Save then Close when finished.

From the portal view, you will now see the caregivers listed.

NOTE:

Caregiver History will provide a list of all caregivers that have been assigned to a patient. This is a helpful tool to maintain continuity of care when creating assignments.

To access Caregiver History, click on the icon in the CH column for the patient.

You will now see a list of all shifts and caregivers that have been assigned to the patient since the beginning of their admission.

The Message Board is an additional communication tool that can contain messages from a Campus or Unit level. The Campus Message board is controlled by Patient Placement and contains information relevant to all Nursing Units. The Unit Message board is controlled by the unit and is only meant to be seen by that unit. Campus Messages will display on the left of the screen and Unit Messages display on the right.

Click on the icon and select Unit Message Board.

Type your message in one of the five Message options.

Click Save when finished.

NOTE:

Staffed Beds is a functionality that identifies if units are not currently staffed to capacity. When the Staffed Bed number is updated per shift, Patient Placement can easily see which units are staffed to take new patients if there are empty beds. Using Staffed Beds also helps Hospital Leadership capture more accurate information for the current census for units that do not always staff to full capacity.

Click on the Staffed Beds icon.

Identify the day, and shift and update the number as appropriate.

Click Save when complete.

You will see the Staffed Bed number update at the bottom of the portal view.

Care Progressions are a tool that allows the progress of ancillary care or other processes to be tracked. For example, if a patient requires Physical Therapy, there may be several items that must be finished successfully before the patient's Physical Therapy care is considered complete. Care Progression categories are identified by your hospital as follows:

Care Progression Categories: Care Progressions.

From the portal view, Click on the box under the Care Progression Icon. (these icons will vary per hospital)

The Care Progression box will open. Click on the appropriate status to set the icon.

Once a status is set, you can also set a delay reason and type a note if appropriate.

Click Save and Close.

From the portal view, you will see the icon displayed under the Care Progression column.

Follow the above steps as needed to move the Care Progression to the next phases.

NOTE:

IH with an orange background - InHouse Patient

R+ with a white background - incoming Preadmit that has not been given a bed assignment.

A+ with a green background - incoming Preadmit that has been given a bed assignment.

T+ with a white background - incoming Pending Transfer that has not been given a bed assignment.

T+ with a green background - incoming Pending Transfer that has been given a bed assignment.

T- with a white background - outgoing Pending Transfer that has not been given a bed assignment.

T- with a green background - outgoing Pending Transfer that has been given a bed assignment.

c(lowercase) with a red background - Confirmed Discharge with a discharge date after today or if there is no projected discharge date identified.

C(Uppercase) with a red background - Confirmed Discharge with a discharge date for today.

d(lowercase) with a blue background - Pending Discharge with a discharge date after today or if there is no projected discharge date identified.

D(Uppercase) with a blue background - Pending Discharge with a discharge for today.

Pending (Red)

Dispatched (Pink)

Delay/Dispatched (Orange)

In Progress (Yellow)

Delay/InProgress (Dark Green/Olive)

Complete (Gray)

Appointment (Dark Blue)

Assist (Green)

Canceled (Black)