Improving Patient Flow from the Waiting Room to the Inpatient Unit

摘要

Lankenau Hospital underwent several process changes that involved multidisciplinary efforts to reduce Emergency Department (ED) based length of stay (LOS). A new arrival and triage model was developed to expedite acute patients and involve clinical personnel as soon as the patient enters the ED. The patient departure phase of the visit had the most significant opportunities which would directly impact their LOS. A Patient Flow Center, Telemetry bed assignment and Nursing Verbal Report Exchange processes were developed and implemented to expedite the patient's transfer from the ED to the inpatient unit. Since the inception of these process changes, patients are transferred to their inpatient beds faster which relinquishes resources for the next patient.