 
The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is a not-for-profit organization that ensures that healthcare facilities meet specific criteria of service quality. They have posted the following on their website as of July 2005:
Performance measurement is used internally by healthcare organizations to support performance improvement and externally, to demonstrate accountability to the public and other interested stakeholders. Performance measurement benefits the healthcare organization by providing statistically valid, data-driven mechanisms that generate a continuous stream of performance information. This enables a healthcare organization to understand how well their organization is doing over time and have continuous access to objective data to support claims of quality. The organization can verify the effectiveness of corrective actions; identify areas of excellence within the organization; and compare their performance with that of peer organizations using the same measures.
The data gathered and information presented by Patient Flow® will enhance a facility’s ability to meet JCAHO requirements. This data will also be used in assessing the efficacy of the facility and could become a major part of continuing quality improvement initiatives.
Patient Flow is an ‘encounter’ system that documents ‘encounters’ between a patient and the medical facility (medical personnel, locations, equipment, etc.). Patient Flow is:
- Easy to install – requires no special technical training or cabling
- Transportable – can easily be moved within or between facilities
- Unobtrusive – the largest component is a PC
- Accurate – records accurate time and date information
- Flexible – can monitor personnel and/or places and/or equipment and/or functions
- Cost Effective – costs are tailored to facility requirements
The system has been developed to meet the requirements of large hospitals as well as medical clinics and outpatient facilities. It will provide current information on a ‘user defined’ basis and schedule that will identify ‘bottlenecks’, assist in determining staffing requirements and provide as much or as little detail as the administration wishes to see. Installation and execution can be accomplished by non-technical persons with minimal training. Regardless of the number of medical persons to be monitored (doctors, nurses, etc.), locations to be monitored (rooms, areas, etc.), equipment to be monitored (EKG, defibrillator, etc), and functions to be monitored (lab, X-ray, etc.); the system is very affordable.
Additionally, extended care facilities such as the traditional nursing home and assisted care centers continue to grow in number. The increased lifespan of U.S. citizens has resulted in an unprecedented growth of extended care facilities. As care for senior citizen population grows additional assistance on a continuing basis will be required. Far too often, this care is provided by facilities that are inconvenient for family members to effectively monitor activities and be comfortable in the knowledge that their relative is being tended to properly. It must be understood Patient Flow is an ‘active’ system that requires that the iButton be physically touched by the reader. This is intentional – it confirms that an encounter between the device and the reader (patient and doctor) actually occurred (rather than an RF encounter that documents the doctor and patient were within proximity of each other).
- Patient Flow is less expensive than other products while gathering or documenting more information
- Patient Flow assists in ‘billing preparation and verification’
- Patient Flow provides information to manage facility personnel and assets on a timely and efficient basis.
Patient Flow can operate in a ‘stand alone’ mode, or be combined with MediButton® and/or ERIC to create a comprehensive healthcare encounter/documenting solution.
The device can be formatted into virtually any type of carrier such as bracelet, necklace, ring or watch.
 
The software process developed for Patient Flow is readily adaptable to any situation wherein movement of a person or object must be documented. This is an important requirement in manufacturing, transportation or security operations.
Patient Flow development is fundamentally complete and has been field tested in a small to medium facility in Florida. The system is scheduled to be commercially available in 2007.
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The software process tracks data through simple interaction.
Monitors patient care in Extended Care and Traditional Nursing Care facilities to ensure patients are being tended to properly.
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