A chain of custody that runs on text messages.
Sheep Dog Transports moves behavioral health patients between hospitals, care facilities and law enforcement across Colorado. Their website and SMS system document every transport, from the first email to the vehicle log.
- Client
- Sheep Dog Transports
- Industry
- Healthcare transport
- Work
- Web application and SMS dispatch
- Built for
- HIPAA privacy requirements
The challenge
A behavioral health transport passes through many hands: the facility that requests it, dispatch, a driver already on the road, and the staff who receive the patient at the other end. Custody has to be clear at every moment.
Drivers live on their phones, not at a desk. And because these are patients, every request and update has to be handled with healthcare-level privacy.
Every step, on record
One transport, one unbroken record. The website and text messages carry it from the first email to the final vehicle log, across as many drivers as are on the road.
- Facility
Request
The facility requests a transport from its own account. The first email opens the record.
- Dispatch
Assign
The trip goes to a driver by text message, across the whole team of drivers.
- Driver
Confirm
The driver’s response goes straight back to the provider or institution.
- Driver
Transport
Pickup and each stage of the drive are logged as they happen.
- Driver
Drop-off
Arrival at the destination is recorded in the same trip.
- Receiving staff
Hand-off
Custody of the individual passes to receiving staff, and the hand-off is documented.
- Driver
Vehicle log
The driver logs the vehicle’s condition and needs before the next trip.
What we built
- An account for every institutionEach hospital, facility and agency has its own login and account for requesting transports.
- Dispatch for a team of driversTrips go out by text message to multiple drivers, and their replies flow back into the system.
- A complete chain of custodyPickup, transport, drop-off and hand-off are each recorded, in order, in one secure record.
- Vehicle logsEach trip ends with the driver logging the vehicle’s condition and anything it needs.
- Privacy by designBuilt for the privacy requirements of healthcare information under HIPAA.
Why it works
Each person uses the tool that fits their job. Facilities use their account on the website, drivers use text messages, and dispatch sees the whole chain in one place. Nobody has to install an app or sign in from the road.
It’s the kind of project agencies often turn down because it’s part website, part application and part integration. For us it’s the same team and the same care as any other project.
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