Improving Care Coordination in Multi-Department Settings with an AI Chatbot
About the Client
- Facility: Mid-sized general hospital
- Location: Middle East
- Capacity: 220 inpatient beds, 8 departments
- Staff: 60+ nurses, 40+ physicians, multiple shift patterns
- Existing Systems: Basic EHR, manual task board, printed handover notes
The Challenge
With rotating shifts and multiple overlapping departments, coordinating care was becoming increasingly fragmented. Nurses handed off shifts using handwritten notes or verbal updates. Doctors issued instructions during rounds, but follow-ups were often delayed or lost due to task miscommunication.
Key challenges included:
- Inconsistent nurse handovers across shifts and departments
- Untracked verbal instructions from physicians
- Task duplication or missed follow-ups, especially during weekends
- Manual summaries that took time and varied in quality
The hospital needed a coordination layer that didn’t require a full software overhaul—but could reduce friction, improve clarity, and respect the existing workflow.
The Solution: AI Chatbot for Care Team Coordination
Bioteknika implemented a lightweight AI-powered chat interface for nurses and physicians to coordinate in real time. The chatbot worked through secure tablets at nurse stations and could be used via mobile for department heads.
Key Capabilities Deployed:
- Structured Nurse Handover: Incoming staff could query patient updates by room or condition:
- “Show me all open tasks in Ward B.”
- “Any vitals alerts in the last 6 hours?”
- Task Logging & Reminders: Doctors could assign tasks during rounds by typing or tapping shortcuts (e.g., “Follow up labs for Mr. Rahim”), which were visible to shift nurses immediately
- Shift-Specific Views: Only tasks relevant to the logged-in shift team were shown
- Automated Care Summaries: The chatbot compiled end-of-day summaries based on updates and tasks marked as completed
Results
Within the first 30 days of deployment across 3 departments:
- Missed Tasks Dropped by 40%, especially during shift transitions
- Verbal Instructions Logged as Actions, improving accountability and traceability
- Nurses Reported 25% Less Time on Paperwork, allowing more patient-facing time
- Cross-Shift Clarity Improved, as per internal staff feedback and fewer double entries
“It’s like a digital memory for our team. The chatbot keeps track so we don’t have to rely on sticky notes or memory between shifts.” - Nursing Supervisor
Technology Stack
- LLM Chat Engine: On-prem deployment with access to care task logs and vitals database
- Integration Points: Basic EHR, task board, shift roster
- Security: Role-based views, encrypted chat, no patient identifiers outside approved devices
