John O Keefe, Executive Director, Devereux New York

Microsoft Health Customer Solution Case Study

Healthcare Provider Boosts Data Collection by 60 Percent, for Better Clinical Outcomes

“We know we can depend on Operant TeachMe for data collection and analysis because it’s built on Microsoft, from the front-end smartphones to the back- end database.” John O’Keefe, Executive Director, Devereux New York Devereux New York serves special-needs children with autism, severe disabilities, and disorders. It uses TeachMe from Operant Systems, built on Microsoft mobile and web technologies, to serve more children more effectively than it could before. With more extensive, timely, and accurate behavioral data, Devereux can better analyze client progress and modify treatment plans.

Business Needs disabilities, and psychiatric and Some children are born with behavioral disorders. combinations of developmental

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published March 2012 Devereux New York is a nonprofit the collection and analysis of are immediately sent over the web to healthcare organization founded to behavioral data had long existed, the Windows Phones of the relevant help them. It includes a residential O’Keefe had long found them staff members. campus, community-based intensive insufficient. Traditional electronic care facilities (ICFs), and day programs, solutions required staff to report Benefits all designed to help children who are behaviors through PC interfaces— With a year’s use of TeachMe behind severely disabled and disordered to which meant that much reporting had him, O’Keefe declares the solution a achieve all that they can. to wait hours or more, until staff had success for his staff, his school, and, the opportunity to transcribe data most importantly, the children under But for Devereux New York and from their binders. Analysis, too, was their care. healthcare providers like it, increasing often confined to client-server systems challenges threaten the efficacy of their that limited the flexibility with which “We know we can depend on Operant programs. The number of children clinicians could use them. TeachMe for data collection and diagnosed with autism, for example, has analysis because it’s built on Microsoft, doubled in a decade, creating In contrast, TeachMe brings together from the front-end smartphones to the unprecedented demand for limited technologies that address the back-end database,” says O’Keefe. services. Meanwhile, those services have shortcomings of traditional solutions. become more expensive to provide, at a Devereux New York staff record Increases Volume of Collected Data time when funding for them has behaviors as they happen, using the by 60 Percent become increasingly scarce. Windows Phones that they carry with Because staff can now record data them. A set of disarmingly engaging more quickly, easily, and promptly, That’s the context in which Devereux icons for various behaviors make it they’re recording more of it. The New York uses applied behavioral easy, even intuitive, for staff to learn volume of recorded behaviors analysis to treat its clients, especially and use the TeachMe app. TeachMe is immediately available for analysis has those with autism. The technique also designed to allow staff that record increased by 60 percent, fueling faster discourages specific negative behaviors, skills acquisition behavior—including and better analyses, and better rewards specific positive ones, and speech and language teachers, refinements in treatment plans. continually refines the treatment physical and occupational therapists, program based on each child’s applied behavior analysts, and special- Gains Consistent Reporting, Analysis progress. education staff—to document their from Across the Enterprise services. The children may be campus residents, Applied behavioral analysis depends Behavioral data is uploaded to a day-program clients, ICF participants, upon a massive, virtually continuous Microsoft SQL Server database hosted or any combination. For the first time, collection of behavioral data for “in the cloud” by Operant at its Devereux New York assembles clinicians to analyze. That data comes datacenter. Clinicians analyze the data comprehensive reports and analyses from staff who both work with the using a TeachMe web interface with that cover a child’s experience across children and lug around binders and graphs and charts that show the these environments. clipboards to record their behaviors. severity and frequency of monitored Behaviors could go unreported, or behaviors. They conduct these Successfully Treats “More Intense, reported inaccurately, inconsistently, analyses from anywhere, at any time, More Problematic” Children and tardily. with an Internet connection. The school now successfully treats children with issues that are “more Solution Clinicians use their analyses to help intense, more problematic,” than In 2010, John O’Keefe, Executive decide whether each child’s treatment previously, according to O’Keefe. That Director of Devereux New York, plan is proving effective, and to make success is based in part on the more discovered TeachMe from Operant changes to those plans—for example, in-depth analyses and closer tracking Systems. While electronic systems for changing behaviors to be monitored of client progress that clinicians gain or skills to be learned. Those changes

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published March 2012 with TeachMe. It’s also based on the to identify children from its residential Administrators use TeachMe to assess greater time that staff spends with and other programs who are likely to how thoroughly staff members track clients, time previously consumed in thrive in the small-scale, community- behaviors and implement the administrative chores. based setting, and because it can treatment plan for each child under better monitor and assess their their supervision—giving Makes Better, Fuller Use of Remote progress. administrators a new and highly useful Care Settings tool with which to evaluate staff Devereux New York opened four ICFs in Monitors, Evaluates Staff More performance. the past year, a major expansion for the Effectively school, in part because it is better able

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published March 2012