Need
The request and the supporting facts stay together.
WardTrace · Care Handoffs
When a handoff breaks, the patient becomes the messenger.
WardTrace keeps the need, supporting facts, owner, response time, and escalation path visible until the next person acts.
01 / The operating gap
“We sent it” does not mean the next team owns it.
A result, referral, discharge need, coverage request, or warning can leave one team without the next team ever accepting it. Work waits, staff chase answers, and the patient repeats the story.
02 / A visible relay01 02 03 04
Owner
The sender remains responsible until the next owner accepts.
Clock
Everyone sees the same hospital-defined response window.
Escalation
A stalled case reaches the right person before it disappears.
03 / The human boundary
The system organizes responsibility. A qualified person decides the care.
WardTrace does not diagnose, prescribe, determine urgency, or replace hospital policy. It makes the hospital's own responsibility and escalation rules visible and reviewable.
See how WardTrace connects →04 / Illustrative large-hospital economics650hours / week returned $3.1Mgross cost / year $6Mmaximum exposure
Small improvements can return real staff time and operating value.
A 10% reduction applied to the 6,500 weekly prior-authorization hours in a 500-physician example.
25K discharges × 15% readmitted × 5% fewer × $16,300 average readmission cost.
A 3% HRRP cap applied to $200M in applicable Medicare FFS base operating DRG payments.
Illustrative assumptions, not an average, forecast, or promised savings. Replace every input with hospital data before commercial use.
Patient handoff guide
Read the guide ↗Start with a clear handoff checklist
See what a patient handoff should include, how to structure the report, and where accepted responsibility fits.