Study offers solutions for bottlenecks: treat and move patients in record time.
The Clockwork ED Series on Eliminating Bottlenecks and Delays, developed by the Clinical Initiatives Center in Washington, DC, identified best practices for expediting admission and reducing wait times to see a physician and receive ancillary services. With bed control bypass, ED nurses fax or tube reports to inpatient nurses and send patients directly to inpatient beds. By giving ED physicians the authority to start the admission process, turnaround time for admits in Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation's ED in New Orleans was reduced from 5.5 hours to 2.8 hours. Implementing a "zero tolerance" policy for empty ED beds increases satisfaction and reduces wait times. Your ED should have a place for patients other than the waiting room, such as an observation unit.
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D010343:Patient Admission; D013997:Time Factors