When every minute counts, transferring patients from paramedics to hospital care is a critical stage. An inefficient process can lead not only to delays in patient care, but also to overcrowding in emergency departments. It can also mean that ambulances and paramedics are out of service for longer than they need to be, reducing availability of emergency services for citizens in urgent need.

To address this challenge, the CISSS de l’Outaouais prehospital emergency services (SPU) team has developed an in-house performance analysis tool based on Power BI. This tool is revolutionizing hospital flow management by precisely measuring the time elapsed between paramedics arriving at the hospital and being released for availability again and by analyzing each key stage in the process (for example, triage and stretcher release, followed by paramedics’ preparation for ambulance departure).

Paramedics’ smartphones are connected in real time to the SPU information system, enabling us to collect and analyze data from over 25,000 interventions, identify bottlenecks, detect inefficiencies and implement targeted corrective actions in the facilities involved.

The results speak for themselves. In-hospital time was reduced by 22%, from 58 to 45 minutes—hitting the ministry target, easing congestion in the ER and optimizing ambulance availability.

This high-tech, visionary, humane initiative is transforming hospital flow in a lasting way, providing citizens with quicker, safer, more efficient access to emergency care. This project is redefining the future of pre-hospital care.

Lead:
Hicham Kahlouche, Planning, Programming and Research Officer