ED Re-design Improves Time from “ED to Bed” by 30%
Challenge
A 243-bed teaching hospital outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania found itself struggling to handle an overcrowded Emergency Department (ED) and an “imperfect” understanding of bed availability with which to place these patients. The hospital had recently built a new ED but additional capacity alone was not enough to solve its patient flow problems.
Solution
To address these issues, the hospital developed a five point plan including a revised triage plan, bed-side registration, centralized bed control, automated bed-tracking system, and a new position whereby a resident physician works with each patient directly to take medical histories and answer questions. The bed-tracking system chosen was BedTracking®, a workflow automation solution developed by TeleTracking Technologies. Upon patient discharge, the nursing unit places a brief intelligent Interactive Voice Response (iIVR™) coded call to the bed control phone number. The solution automatically (no dispatcher or frequent calls to Environmental Services [EVS]), and immediately, sends a page with the room location and bed number to EVS personnel to begin the cleaning process. Before the EVS personnel begins cleaning the room, they place a second, brief coded phone call to the bed control number updating the system that the room is in progress of being cleaned, and once again upon completion. This real time information of bed status lets patient placement personnel know when a bed is, or will be available without multiple phone calls to EVS or the floor, or waiting for dirty rooms sitting “idle” to be cleaned.
Results
This real time information of bed status lets patient placement personnel know when a bed is, or will be available without multiple phone calls to EVS or the floor, or waiting for dirty rooms sitting “idle” to be cleaned.
Source – Health Management Technology, “Bed-der Than Ever”, March 2003.
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