New Study Reveals Picis Emergency Department Information System Significantly Reduces Patient Length of Stay

Business Wire, Oct 27, 2008

Research presented at American College of Emergency Physicians shows a 30 minute decrease in average patient length of stay and an increase in facility revenue using Picis ED PulseCheck

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- Research from the University of Colorado Hospital to be presented at this week's American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Research Forum in Chicago reveals that the use of an emergency department information system (EDIS) from Picis has demonstrably decreased the average emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS) for discharged patients, an important measure of clinical efficiency and a key determinant of patient satisfaction. Achieving a high-level of ED efficiency and quality of service is a significant concern for many hospitals since more than 55 percent of hospital admissions enter through the ED, making it an important indicator of a hospital's overall financial health.

The study, entitled "Impact of Computerized Physician Order Entry on Emergency Department Patient Length of Stay," was led by five University of Colorado Hospital ED physicians: Shaun Spalding, MD; Paula Mayer, MD; Adit Ginde, MD; Stephen Lowenstein, MD; and Michael Yaron, MD. The focus of the research was to determine if implementing the Picis ED PulseCheck([R]) software solution would reduce patient average lengths of stay in the University of Colorado Hospital ED. The study demonstrated that the implementation of ED PulseCheck accounted for a 30 minute reduction in LOS for discharged patients - from 198 to 168 minutes, a 15 percent decrease. The study was based on information from 49,175 discharged patients from the ED.

"This study further validates the importance of information systems' role in improving patients' ED experience," said Dr. Yaron. "We were continually trying to keep up with piles of patient paper work and being asked to do more with less, so we wanted to see if ED PulseCheck could really help our staff. We found that by replacing written and verbal clinical orders with electronic order entry and immediate results reporting, our staff was freed from time-consuming, paper-based processing. This increase in efficiency directly contributed to the reduction in patient LOS - a factor in improving patient satisfaction."

Additional key findings from the study include:

* The ED ambulance arrivals increased from 7.3 percent to 9.5 percent;

* Despite an increase in LOS for admitted patients, from 405 to 441 minutes, Picis ED PulseCheck maintained a decrease in LOS for discharged patients; and

* Further analysis revealed that Picis ED PulseCheck maintained an independent inverse association with LOS for discharged patients.

"In today's economic environment, hospitals are challenged more than ever to find ways to increase throughput, reduce costs and maximize revenue - while also creating a healthy working environment for their clinicians and delivering better quality care for their patients," said Todd Cozzens, CEO and vice chairman at Picis. "We're proud of the work done by the University of Colorado Hospital, which further validates that ED Pulse Check plays a critical role in helping clinical and operational staff do their jobs more effectively in one of the hospital's busiest and most challenging care areas."

Another study being presented at ACEP sheds light on the financial impact that documentation and coding of ED services can have on hospital finances. This research, led by Lorna Prutzman, RN, MSN, as well as Drs. Mayer, Ginde, and Yaron, reflects a 42 percent increase in ED facility charges at the University of Colorado Hospital after implementing Picis LYNX E/Point solution in conjunction with ED PulseCheck. The Picis' LYNX E/Point solution enables enhanced documentation that can lead to higher coding levels and improved assessment of services provided. For more info on both of these studies, visit www.picis.com/news/industryreports

About Picis

Picis is a global provider of innovative information solutions that enable rapid and sustained delivery of clinical, financial and operational results in the acute care areas of the hospital. These high-acuity areas include the emergency department, operating and recovery rooms, and intensive care units. Picis offers the most advanced suite of integrated products focused on these life-critical areas of the hospital where the patients are the most vulnerable, the care process is the most complex and an increasing majority of hospital costs and potential revenue are concentrated. Headquartered in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Picis has licensed systems for use in more than 1,700 hospitals in 19 countries. More information is available at www.picis.com.

[c] 2008 Picis, Inc. All rights reserved. Picis and PulseCheck may be trademarks or registered trademarks of Picis, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the properties of their respective owners. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, Picis' expectations concerning the functionality and market acceptance of its products, and management's plans, objectives and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Picis' control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements.