Palliative program yields triage changes in the ED.
Ensuring a smooth transition when your hospital adds a palliative care program can help improve throughput in your department while enhancing patient care and flow throughout for the facility. Here are some key steps for you to take: * Develop and/or obtain from the palliative care department a set of triage triggers for palliative care admission and palliative care consults. * Communicate the triggers to your staff. Post the triggers prominently, and publicly recognize physicians who are using them on a regular basis. * Make sure ancillary department staff such as social workers and chaplains are available for lengthy consultations with family members.
D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States