🚑 VectorCare + Lyft Smart on FHIR: Hospital Use Cases

1. Faster, More Efficient Discharge Planning

Problem: Discharge delays occur because patients lack a ride home or transportation is arranged manually via calls and faxes.

Value of the App:

• Case managers can instantly request a Lyft trip directly from the EHR using FHIR data (patient demographics, pick-up location, discharge time).

• Eliminates phone calls, manual forms, and coordination delays.

• Reduces discharge bottlenecks that hold beds for hours or days.

Outcome: Faster throughput, higher bed availability, and reduced cost per inpatient stay.

2. Automated Trip Details Through FHIR Context

Problem: Transportation details are often typed manually, leading to errors in patient address, mobility level, or scheduling.

Value of the App:

• Auto-pulls demographics, mobility, preferred address, appointment time, and clinical flags from the EHR.

• Reduces errors and ensures the right vehicle type (Lyft standard, XL, wheelchair-accessible where available).

Outcome: Time savings for staff and safer, more appropriate ride assignment.

3. Reducing ED Boarding for Non-Emergent Patients

Problem: Many ED patients who are medically cleared cannot leave due to lack of transportation.

Value of the App:

• ED nurses/social workers can request an immediate Lyft ride directly from the chart.

• Patient can be moved out of ED within minutes, not hours.

Outcome: Higher ED throughput, improved door-to-doc times, and reduced LWBS rates.

4. Closing Gaps in Care for Outpatient / Ambulatory Visits

Problem: No-show appointments increase when patients rely on unreliable or costly transportation.

Value of the App:

• Automatically schedules a Lyft ride for follow-up visits, labs, imaging, or primary care appointments.

• Uses EHR-integrated data to align arrival time with appointment time.

Outcome: Lower no-shows, higher adherence to care plans, improved clinical outcomes.

5. Supporting Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Programs

Problem: Under-resourced patients frequently miss visits due to transportation challenges.

Value of the App:

• Social workers can instantly schedule rides using the patient’s chart info.

• Hospitals can track ride utilization and outcomes for SDOH reporting.

Outcome: Better equity, better compliance, and improved community outcomes.

6. Streamlined Transport for Imaging & Procedural Workflows

Problem: Patients often must travel between hospital campuses or buildings (e.g., imaging, infusion, same-day procedures).

Value of the App:

• Integrated FHIR location data makes inter-campus transfers seamless.

• Staff schedule rides with one click while keeping the patient workflow aligned in the EHR.

Outcome: Reduced intra-facility delays and fewer missed slots in radiology or procedural departments.

7. Safe Transport for Patients Discharging to Non-Medical Facilities

• (RSNF, shelters, temporary housing, recovery programs)

• Problem: Hospitals often struggle coordinating rides for vulnerable patients, requiring multiple phone calls.

Value of the App:

• Pre-populate destination facilities from templates.

• Document the ride in the EHR automatically for risk and compliance.

Outcome: Faster placement and improved support for high-risk populations.

8. Automated Documentation & Audit Trail

Problem: Hospitals must document how patients were transported and maintain compliance with payer and audit requirements.

Value of the App:

• Ride events and costs write back into the EHR via FHIR.

• No need to manually chart the patient’s transport.

Outcome: Cleaner audits, reduced administrative burden, and accurate encounter documentation.

9. Integration With Hospital Billing / Cost Centers

Problem: Transportation costs are manually tracked or lost.

Value of the App:

• Allocate transportation spending to specific cost centers or service lines.

• Nurses and case managers do not need to worry about managing invoices.

Outcome: Financial transparency and better budgeting.

10. Support for Hospital-at-Home or Remote Monitoring Programs

Problem: Delivering equipment or transporting patients for at-home care requires coordination.

Value of the App:

• Schedule Lyft rides to deliver equipment or transport patients for temporary in-home care transitions.

• Works seamlessly with EHR-based care pathways.

Outcome: Supports expansion of home-based care models.

Case managers, administrators, home health teams, care teams, Nurses, and patient logistics coordinators.