dTrans Software

dTran Adult Transportation Software

The dTran software database and routing software package maintains the following information:

“Consumer Maintenance Screen”
Name
Address
Phone
Date of Birth
Medicaid Number
Zone of Residence
One or more contacts for the client
Special transportation needs
All Appointments (scheduled, completed)
Notes and Reminders (including receipt or need for supporting material from the treating medical service provider)

All of the foregoing is gathered and entered by VMC’s call center when a client is identified for the first time. Thereafter, when that client calls to schedule a trip, this screen is opened by the call center operator who is then able to review this material during the call in order to ascertain special considerations or requirements while taking the trip reservation.

“Treatment Inquiry Screen”

Here dTran maintains a record of all courses of treatment that have been authorized for a Medicaid client, organized by “Course of Treatment.” This means that the call center operator who is assisting the customer can easily locate the authorization for one or more appointments at the same location within a defined period of time (i.e., appointments under the same Department/ Provider authorization number).

“Treatment Maintenance Screen”

Having quickly determined that the requested appointment is approved by the State (Medicaid Number) and the Department (Authorization Number), the call center operator will move to the “Appointment Screen” to enter the reservation. If the call is for a newly authorized course of treatment, the operator moves to the “Treatment Maintenance Screen.” Here information is entered by the “Customer’s Name,” and the following information is entered:

Approved By (name of the medical provider ordering the treatment — in order to speed the entry process, dTran makes use of a predefined list of agencies that appear in a “drop-down” menu)
Authorization Number
Authorization Status (e.g. “Pending,” “Approved”)
The number of passengers (VMC recognizes that in many cases a “Customer” may need assistance or accompaniment, and has ensured that this need is reflected in its database design).
Pick Up Address
Drop Off Address (Again to save entry time, dTran is ‘detailed” for each county through the inclusion of a pre-set list of medical services providers. This material is pulled over from each areas database of businesses by “Standard Industrial Code.”

“Appointment Screen”

Having listed all authorized treatments for each “Customer,” the call center operator enters the specific appointments on a calendar that can show 1-day, 5-day, 7-day and month formats.

This done, the trip itself is scheduled. A drop-down screen appears that lists all possible vehicles, pickup and drop-off times for the trip. With this in view, the operator works with the Customer to establish the trip that best meets the Customer’s needs.

This trip scheduling function utilizes software (“Real-Time Routing”) that optimizes vehicle use and routing, and this automatic function provides the “trip possibilities” described above.

On-the-Fly Routing

When an appointment is made, if it appears that the need is for Urgent Care, or if it is a last minute change in a pickup point, VMC will make use of hand-held devises and GPS to be placed in those vehicles that are dedicated to this program. Through this means, the Call Center operator will be able to locate vehicles already in-route to one destination and be able to contact the driver of that vehicle in order to redirect the route as needed. Attached as Appendix 2 is a chart demonstrating VMC’s “On-the-Fly routing.

Reports

The data maintained in the dTrans database permits VMC to regularly provide, among many other types of reports, daily reports of all trips scheduled, and to provided each transporter with a daily report of all trips assigned to it. In addition aTran provides monthly reports of trips scheduled and trips completed, with both broken down by “Zone of Destination,” “Health Care Provider,” Time of Day,” and “Day of Week.” These types of reports allow VMC and the County to engage in the ongoing program analysis needed to maintain the desired performance quality.