title: Team effort identifies opportunities to reduce wait times, improve safety for patients.
abstract: The ED at Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center in Marshall, MN, has been able to implement a number of improvements in its throughput process by holding monthly "quick hits" meetings aimed at identifying opportunities for improvement and potential solutions. Among the improvements that grew out of this process is a 12-minute dent in the ED's average decision-to-admit times. Administrators say a collaborative culture has been key to keeping the meetings positive and productive. The "quick hits" meetings typically included nurses, an ED physician, two representatives from the hospital's quality department, and representatives from lab or X-ray as needed. The ED director scheduled the meetings during the morning hours when the ED is typically not busy, and the physician has time to attend. Decision-to-admit times were reduced by giving charge nurses an earlier notification when patients presenting to the ED were likely to be admitted.
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008910:Minnesota; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration; D017751:Safety Management; D013997:Time Factors; D014850:Waiting Lists