Question

Question #2 (Patient Flow):

• Research and discuss four (4) methods that healthcare organizations can use to improve the efficiency of patient flow.

Answer 1

Patient flow is the movement of patients through a healthcare facility. It involves the medical care, physical resources, and internal systems needed to get patients from the point of admission to the point of discharge while maintaining quality and patient/provider satisfaction.

Good patient flow is central to patient experience, clinical safety and reducing the pressure on staff. It is also essential to the delivery of national emergency care access standards. Experts consistently advocate focussing on patient flow as a key factor in providing effective health care. The good practice guide is also accompanied by a series of case studies that offer examples of how providers have implemented some of the principles in the guide.

Patient Flow Analysis (PFA) is a quality improvement tool which can be used to help identify patient flow inefficiencies at any type of health care facility and inform areas for intervention to help improve care delivery processes.

• Explore Different Staffing Models – Several factors including a facility’s geographic location and budget can make it difficult to determine how best to staff a facility. Attracting physicians tends to be a greater challenge in rural settings. However, when APPs are adept at performing many of the same procedures as physicians, such as intubations and central lines, they can support physicians and help ensure patients receive timely care. Similarly, the use of scribes significantly improves the amount of contact time physicians have with patients. With less time spent on record keeping and administrative tasks, physicians can reduce wait times and focus on patients, driving both efficiency and patient experience scores.

• Recognize the Importance of Hospital Medicine – Flow optimization is about handoffs and processes. In an integrated system, the hospitalists are the team’s quarterbacks. They communicate care needs, facilitate smooth transitions and make sure patients are connected with the right provider, at the right time and with the right resources. Experience has proven that when hospital medicine and emergency medicine physicians align their processes and goals, hospitals operate much more efficiently.

• Integrate All Departments – A facility is only as strong as its weakest link. While most perceive patient flow as an issue that primarily affects the emergency department, it is truly a hospitalwide concern. When one department is not operating optimally, the rest of the facility is impacted. Often, bottlenecks begin in other departments, like the intensive care unit, and trickle down to the emergency department. As all departments become aligned on the same goals, each department can focus on providing the best possible care to the patient instead of trying to overcome operational bottlenecks.

• Use Technology to Enhance Care – We are constantly developing and identifying platforms that enhance the delivery of care. One such platform is our Rapid Admission Process & Gap Orders™. One of our hospital medicine leaders developed the software to improve communication between emergency physicians and hospitalists. The software helps reduce emergency department boarding times, expedite inpatient admissions, decrease length of stay and, ultimately, lower the cost of care. Telemedicine is another great resource, especially for small and rural hospitals. Instead of waiting for a specialist to arrive at the hospital, physicians can receive real-time assistance from a specialist and prevent care delays.

In the end, optimizing flow is about improving all quality dimensions of care delivery. When the system is integrated, departments communicate effectively, team members are engaged and goals are aligned, it creates more visibility and collaboration within the hospital. As operations run more efficiently, patients and providers will have a more positive care experience, and the facility will see improvements in revenue.