Joory Ramadan and Fatema Farzat presented their research on Nov. 6 at the WE-SPARK Health Institute's Cheers to hope event. (Courtesy of Joory Ramadan/ University of Windsor)
By Vanessa Bumanlag
For patients recovering in hospital, delays in rehabilitation and discharge can mean longer stays and an increased risk of complications.
Two University of Windsor engineering students spent their summer investigating those delays at Erie Shores HealthCare, using industrial engineering techniques to identify opportunities to improve patient care.
Fatema Farzat and Joory Ramadan conducted the research through the University's Elevate program, after completing their first year as Engineering students under the supervision of Dr. Darwish Alami, and PhD candidate Edward Matengele.
The Elevate program provides scholarships and opportunities for students from underrepresented groups to gain hands-on research experience alongside faculty members.
The program also gave the students opportunities to connect with other women in engineering and explore career possibilities in health care.
"We got to network and understand what it means to work in healthcare," Farzat said.
Working in the hospital's rehabilitation unit, the students examined why some patients remained hospitalized beyond their expected length of stay. They used a technique called value stream mapping to track patients' journeys through care and identify sources of delay.
"Value stream maps are a method of lean engineering where you try to optimize a system or product," Farzat said.
By shadowing physicians, Farzat and Ramadan moved beyond the data to examine how daily clinical workflows could contribute to delays in patient care.
"We found out that physicians were spending three hours alone on charting," Ramadan said.
The students also identified challenges related to access to rehabilitation services and opportunities for patients to remain physically active. They found that some patients were not participating in therapy, potentially contributing to further physical decline.
Following discussions with hospital stakeholders, Erie Shores HealthCare introduced a program called MOVE, designed to encourage patients to complete rehabilitation exercises when physiotherapists are unavailable.
The students also recommended changes to reduce delays, including adjusting weekend schedules for rehabilitation therapists and exploring ways to reduce physicians' charting responsibilities.
Using value stream mapping to model the proposed improvements, Farzat and Ramadan estimated that the changes could reduce delays at two stages of the patient journey by 30 to 35 per cent and 40 to 45 per cent, respectively.
The students hope their findings will encourage other hospitals to examine their own care processes, with the goal of reducing unnecessary hospital stays and associated health risks.
"The majority of patients we studied were about 82 years old, and reducing the time they spend in the hospital is important to decreasing airborne illnesses, infection and deconditioning," Farzat said.
Beyond the potential benefits for patients, the project broadened both students' understanding of how engineering can contribute to health care.
"Being able to combine engineering and healthcare, it's something I thought never would intertwine, and it really broadened how engineering can be used," Ramadan said.
For Farzat, the experience also opened the door to a career path she hadn't previously considered.
"Through our research, I was able to envision myself working in healthcare and found a passion that I didn't know I had," Farzat said.