title: Tracking the patient journey by combining multiple hospital database systems.
abstract: With new national targets for patient flow in public hospitals designed to increase efficiencies in patient care and resource use, better knowledge of events affecting length of stay will support improved bed management and scheduling of procedures. This paper presents a case study involving the integration of material from each of three databases in operation at one tertiary hospital and demonstrates it is possible to follow patient journeys from admission to discharge.
authors.affiliation: Decision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Garden Point Campus, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Decision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Garden Point Campus, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kozan
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, 199 Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Qld 4102, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinnott
authors.affiliation: Nurse Practice and Development Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, 199 Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Qld 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Lyndall
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, 199 Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Qld 4102, Australia. Email: ;
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eley
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D009873:Operating Rooms; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010360:Patient Transfer; D011793:Queensland; D018511:Systems Integration