How Atrium Health Improved Scheduling Efficiency and Space Optimization With PresenceIQ and HubStar Sensors

Space Utilization & Analytics: Experts with Sensor Technology

We provide a modern solution to the age-old problem: How do you accurately measure patient exam room and administration office space utilization? And how do you build a business case to justify space allocation and scheduling decisions?

Presence IQ offers accurate, unbiased, undisputable space utilization data and customized data visualizations to better inform your space planning strategy and build consensus. Our heat and motion sensors (no cameras) collect occupancy and utilization data enabling access to actionable insights within our secure cloud-based platform.

The Challenge

Having received continuous requests for more space from providers, Atrium Health sought to maximize the utilization of their examination rooms, while optimizing patient throughput. However, they did not want to add to their physical real estate footprint (and costs) until they were comfortable knowing that they are operating to maximum efficiency. At the time, there was no standardized data collection method across the hospital, affecting Atrium Health’s ability to inform or justify space-planning decisions.

The Solution 

Atrium Health partnered with Relogix and started with a three-month pilot to study their exam room utilization. More in-depth, Atrium Health wished to better understand best practices for sharing space among clinics.

More than 100 HubStar sensors were deployed in exam rooms, with data transmitted every minute to the secure online Workspace Analytics Platform. The platform easily integrated sensor data with third-party applications and other data sources linked to scheduling data, patient check-ins, and waiting area usage.

A few years following the pilot, Atrium Health have expanded to thousands of sensors; using the Relogix core and customized data visualizations to drive further efficiencies, behavior changes, and decision making into the configuration of new spaces and portfolio growth.

The Findings 

Atrium Health discovered that:

• Exam rooms were being used less than 40% of the time

• Many exam rooms were empty after 3 p.m.

• Rooms shared by multiple practices had the lowest utilization rate overall

• There was opportunity to improve efficiencies before additional spaces were required

• Space booking and scheduling required additional communication and behavior change to drive further efficiencies

The Outcome

By partnering with HubStar and aiming to better understand space utilization, Atrium Health ultimately improved scheduling efficiencies and space management, without increasing overhead costs, as well as reduced demand for future space. Due to the success of the pilot, HubStar sensors have since been expanded to new floors, doctors’ offices, and meeting rooms to complete similar studies. This will allow Atrium Health to put together benchmarks that can be used to drive performance improvement throughout all their workspaces.