Vehicle Telematics Revolutionizes the NEMT Industry
Thursday, August 28th, 2014How is it that we as Non-Emergency Medical Transportation providers are able to get so many individuals (many of whom are first-time clients), from their homes to their medical appointments safely and on time? How do we plan routes efficiently within a congested major metropolitan area? In addition to managing the basic logistics involved in picking up and dropping off patients within precise time windows, the NEMT team must also balance ever-changing schedules, traffic, and any unexpected challenges that may occur throughout the course of the day. The answer is “Vehicle Telematics”. Long gone are the days of thumbing through map books, and relying on memory, for determining the quickest and safest routes. Even in-vehicle cell phone usage is minimized. Today, an exciting combination of technologies is available which can revolutionize the transportation industry in general and NEMT providers in particular.
“Vehicle Telematics”, is a term applied to the combination of the following technologies:
- Telecommunication
- Vehicle tracking via GPS
- Driver feedback
- Fleet management
- Satellite navigation
- Emergency warning systems
- Real time dispatch and communications
- Management reporting
To better illustrate how these technologies can combine to vastly improve the effectiveness of a fleet of NEMT vehicles, let’s take you to a typical day for Bob M. a non-emergency medical transportation driver at All Points Assisted Transportation in San Diego, CA.
6:00 AM: Bob logs on to his navigation device and “punches in” for payroll purposes.
6:02 AM: Bob downloads his entire dispatch for the day. This includes 8 to 10 trips to either pick up or drop off individuals for appointments around town.
6:15 AM: Bob completes his pre-trip vehicle inspection, then selects his first trip which is a pickup. By selecting start, a detailed route is planned complete with turn by turn mapping and voice instructions to the exact location. Real-time traffic patterns are used to calculate an accurate ETA.
7:00 AM: Bob is alerted that road construction on I-5 will delay arrival to his first pickup by 11 minutes. An alternate route is automatically generated to keep him on schedule.
7:45 AM: Bob arrives at the first pickup location. Dispatch personnel at the office are aware of the driver’s exact location and activity each step of the way. Dispatch can notify clients of delays or changes as necessary over the phone, so that Bob can avoid in-vehicle cell phone use.
8:15 AM: The navigation screen alerts Bob that his off ramp is coming up in 2 miles. A visual image appears on his navigation screen, and a voice message alerts him of the approaching off ramp, and even tells him which lane to be in during the exit.
9:00 AM: Back at the office, the dispatcher receives an add-on trip that requires download to the driver. The new order appears within seconds on Bob’s navigation screen, complete with customer name, address and turn by turn instructions.
12:00 PM: Bob punches out for lunch break
1:15 PM: A patient calls the dispatch office that they are now ready for a pickup for their return home. The dispatcher downloads the request, along with the name, address, and turn by turn directions from Bob’s current location. Again, this process avoids in-vehicle cell phone use.
4:00 PM: Bob punches out for payroll purposes.
4:10 PM: Management can analyze total daily activities for Bob, as well as for the entire fleet. Management is able to customize reports showing pick up and drop off times, vehicle speed data, hard breaking data, hard turn events, idle times and MPG estimates.
The utilization of “Vehicle Telematics” technologies vastly improves dispatch efficiencies, expedites pickups and drop-offs, influences positive driver behavior and confidence, and improves the passenger experience while enhancing overall safety.
All Points Assisted Transportation utilizes TomTom hardware on the WEBFLEET platform. DispatchBot, a NEMT tailored software solution, is also integrated into the overall system. 24/7 Dispatch and call center services are provided by NEMT Solutions, LLC.