Dovetale takes flight at St. Joe's
Nurses and medical residents in St. Joe's ICU use Dovetale, a new patient-centred information solution. From left: Elaine Chiarelli, RN; Nicole Paradisi, RN; Dr. Zahra Merali, Resident; Kristine Wachmann, RN; Dr. Karen Geukers, Resident; Hana Damf, Dovetale Support.
If you have been to our hospital recently, as a patient or visitor, you probably noticed that something is different, and you’re right. After more than two years of preparations, we have started using a digital system, Dovetale, instead of paper-and-pen in our inpatient areas.
With the move, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is now one of the best in Canada when it comes to safe, secure information technology to enhance patient care. To you, our patients, this means having to tell your story only once. Healthcare providers now have instant access to that information and are better able to connect with each other.
The new digital solution is called Dovetale in recognition of our goal of joining compassion and technology.
The name Dovetale speaks to our hospital’s Catholic roots -- St. Joseph was a carpenter and he would’ve used a dovetail to join two pieces of wood together in precision to make the joint stronger. In our case, it symbolizes the joining of compassion with technology. We also spell it a little differently. The “tale” in Dovetale recognizes the key element of the patient story – the importance of acknowledging each patient's individual story and needs.
Our hospital, in the heart of Hamilton, arrived at this position of national leadership through dedication and careful planning on the part of our staff, physicians, volunteers and learners.
After a rigorous, legislated process that included input by more than 400 staff, physicians and Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN partners, a digital provider was selected. The team chose Epic, an aptly named company that developed health information systems for some of North America’s top institutions. The work then began to build Dovetale, a digital solution that would modernize St. Joe’s and provide real-time, at-the-bedside access to medical histories and diagnostic information. It would put it on par with institutions like the Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins Medicine.
Thousands of people, from porters to physicians and technical staff, were trained ahead of the Dec. 2, 2017 switchover. We dropped our pens shortly after 4 a.m. – internally, we described it as the moment Dovetale took flight. It joins other modern St. Joe's milestones, such as the reimagined West 5th Campus.
A behind-the-scenes look at when St. Joe's physicians, volunteers and learners — as a team — dropped their pens on Dec. 2, 2017.
With Dovetale comes a highly complex digital environment and yes, there is a learning curve for the people using it. If you were to stroll through our halls, you’d see a lot of blue jackets. They’re all Dovetale Support staff, who are here to help with the transition.
On that first day, despite the intense pressure of using a new digital solution, patient care came first. We successfully completed a kidney transplant.
On the second day of working with Dovetale many staff and physicians reported less stress and growing confidence. Our executives and board members walked the halls at all three campuses to visit different units and thank them for their hard work related to the transition to Dovetale.
Peter Tice, past chair, SJHH Joint Board of Governors, thanks team members in St. Joe's Emergency Department.
Dr. David Higgins, President, visits the Diagnostic Imaging team at St. Joe's West 5th Campus.
Day 3 was the real test — a busy Monday that would see outpatient clinics, day surgery and diagnostic imaging working together full-on in Dovetale. Some staff members would be using the system for the first time, too, and that's when our hospitals' culture of collaboration was most evident. People helped each other, sharing Dovetale knowledge and experiences.
Justice Obiahuba, Dovetale Support, left, with Rosemary Irene, RN, at St. Joe's West 5th Campus.
According to Epic, which has been through the paper-to-digital transition at other major hospitals, it’s normal to experience delays in surgery start times during that period. At St. Joe's, thanks to our nurses in the operating room, 85 per cent of surgeries scheduled for Day 4 got to the OR on time. And patients noticed that we are learning something new to improve the care of patients today and for generations to come.
Registered Nurses, Jess Munn, left, and Laura Cercone, show flowers and a card received from a patient. The card reads, "Thank you for a lovely time and for sharing in your development (Dovetale)."
As the end of the week neared, there were a number of efficiencies and adjustments brought on by Dovetale. At our King Campus, staff reported speedy registration times. Nurses in the Kidney Care Clinic, Charlton Campus, said that with patients in and out of hospital and being seen in various clinics, it's "really helpful" that Dovetale allows them to see patients' stories all in one place. At the West 5th Campus, nurses realized an added benefit of using iPhones to document care interactions on their units; the iPhone also makes for a secure mobile option for care-related conversations.
As the Dovetale journey continues, the best-news story has been the response from the people we serve at St. Joe’s. Thank you for your patience as we learn this new digital solution – it’s strengthened our resolve to provide the best possible care through joining compassion with technology.