Improving patient flow is one of the most important steps ED leaders can take to reduce crowding, boost patient and staff satisfaction and improve quality of care in the emergency department. A number of potential strategies, solutions and tactics exist — and experts and consultants like myself can aid in implementation. However, developing a strong patient flow improvement plan can be daunting, especially in the initial stages.
Luckily, a number of online resources are available for those stakeholders interested in assessing their patient flow process and taking the steps necessary to make it more efficient.
Check out these three online resources ED leaders and staff can use to improve patient flow.
George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences | Urgent Matters
Urgent Matters describes itself as “a dissemination vehicle for strategies on emergency department (ED) patient flow and quality.” They’re a wealth of valuable information for ED and hospital leaders interested in improving patient flow. Urgent Matters develops and offers webinars, podcasts and a blog that cover timely issues related to emergency care. They also have a searchable toolkit stocked with case studies as well as strategies and solutions for common problems and concerns related to patient flow.
ACEP | Emergency Medicine Crowding and Boarding
The American College of Emergency Physicians is a great resource for ED leaders investigating potential solutions related to the problems brought on by overcrowding and boarding. ACEP’s informative website is a must-visit for ED leaders, physicians and staff interested in improving patient flow.Admittedly, the information found on ACEP’s website may seem dated, but the material and examples available are still relevant and appropriate for EDs today, especially in regards to policy making, state legislation and advocacy. Additionally, ACEP provides access to lectures and seminars that address issues and best practices related to patient flow.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement is another organization offering access to case studies, white papers and other resources on how to improve patient flow. IHI also features improvement tools that ED leaders may find useful such as ones to help track data related to patient flow.
While the sites mentioned above are just a few of the many online resources available that focus on improving patient flow, they’re home to valuable information and resources related to patient satisfaction and quality of care. If you’re serious about improving the quality of care your patients receive and increasing satisfaction, patient flow is the first place to start. By implementing a few strategies to improve flow within your ED, you’ll see a positive impact when it comes to crowding, leaving without being seen rates and overall length of stay time, just to name a few benefits.
ED and hospital leaders: What online resources have you sought to help improve not just patient flow, but quality of care and satisfaction? Did you find them useful? Comment below or feel free to drop me a line to share your experiences.