title: Improved flow aids patient safety.
abstract: The ED at Enumclaw (WA) Regional Hospital has reduced its rate of patients who left without being seen from 5% to between .8% and 1.1% and cut its door-to-doc time from an average of 52 minutes to an average of 16 minutes with the institution of a new triage and treatment process. At the same time, it has improved patient safety and received an award from the Washington State Medical Association. When patients present, one of two registration clerks takes down the chief complaint and quickly registers the patient to give them an account number. After initial registration,"team intake" staff takes them to a patient room or a triage room. A five-tier triage system is used to determine placement of patients.
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000458:organization & administration; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014861:Washington