scholarly journals P036: Interim analysis of the impact of the emergency department transformation system on flow metrics

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (S1) ◽  
pp. S69-S69
Author(s):  
A. Dukelow ◽  
K. Van Aarsen ◽  
C. MacDonald ◽  
V. Dagnone
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Interim Analysis ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Improve Patient Care ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
High Acuity ◽  
Systems Transformation ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Emergency Department Systems Transformation (EDST) is a bundle of Toyota Production System based interventions implemented in two Canadian tertiary care Emergency Departments (ED) between June 2014 to July 2016. The goals were to improve patient care by increasing value and reducing waste. Longer times to physician initial assessment (PIA), ED length of stays (LOS) and times to inpatient beds are associated with increased patient morbidity and potentially mortality. Some of the 17 primary interventions included computerized physician order entry optimization, staff schedule realignment, physician scorecards and a novel initial assessment process ED access block has limited full implementation of EDST. An interim analysis was conducted to assess impact of interventions implemented to date on flow metrics. Methods: Daily ED visit volumes, boarding at 7am, time to PIA and LOS for non-admitted patients were collected from April 2014 -June 2016. Volume and boarding were compared from first to last quarter using an independent samples median test. Linear regression for each variable versus time was conducted to determine unadjusted relationships. PIA, LOS for non-admitted low acuity (Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) 4,5) and non-admitted high acuity (CTAS 1,2,3) patients were subsequently adjusted for volume and/or boarding to control for these variables using a non-parametric correlation. Results: Overall, median ED boarding decreased at University Hospital (UH) (14.0 vs 6.0, p<0.01) and increased at Victoria Hospital (VH) (17.0 vs 21.0, p<0.01) from first to last quarter. Median ED volume increased significantly at UH from first to last quarter (129.0 vs 142.0, p<0.01) but remained essentially unchanged at VH. 90th percentile LOS for non-admitted low acuity patients significantly decreased at UH (adjusted rs=-0.24, p<0.01) but did not significantly change at VH. For high acuity patients 90th percentile LOS significantly decreased at both hospitals (UH: adjusted rs=-0.23, p<0.01; VH: adjusted rs=-0.21, p<0.01). 90th percentile time to PIA improved slightly but significantly in both EDs (UH: adjusted rs=-0.10, p<0.01; VH: adjusted rs=-0.18, p<0.01). Conclusion: Persistent ED boarding impacted the ability to fully implement the EDST model of care. Partial EDST implementation has resulted in improvement in PIA at both LHSC EDs. At UH where ED boarding decreased, LOS metrics improved significantly even after controlling for boarding.

scholarly journals MP04: Interim analysis of the impact of the Emergency Department Transformation System on ambulance offload delay

CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S66
Author(s):  
S. Pawa ◽  
K. Van Aarsen ◽  
A. Dukelow ◽  
D. Lizotte ◽  
M. Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Hospital Inpatient ◽  
Chi Square Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Emergency Department Systems Transformation (EDST) is a bundle of Toyota Production System based interventions implemented in two London, Canada tertiary care Emergency Departments (ED) between April 2014 and July 2016 to improve patient care by increasing value and reducing waste. Some of the 17 primary interventions included computerized physician order entry optimization, staff schedule realignment, physician scorecards, and a novel initial assessment process. Offload delays are associated with longer hospital length of stay and delayed admission, and may increase morbidity and mortality. Delays also result in fewer circulating ambulances in the community. CIHI sets a benchmark of 30 minutes as an acceptable offload target. It is possible that EDST may have impacted offload times. Methods: Middlesex-London EMS provided offload times. Data was collected from London Health Sciences Centre including daily ED visit volumes, ED occupancy, offload nursing hours, and site variation. A binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of interventions and confounding variables on the proportion of patients meeting CIHI benchmark. A chi-square analysis was done comparing proportion of patients meeting the benchmark in the first 3 months versus the last 3 months to identify overall impact of EDST to date. Results: Increased offload nursing hours had a positive impact (p&lt;0.001) on the proportion of offload times meeting the CIHI benchmark while increased ED visit volume and hospital inpatient volume had a significant negative impact (p&lt;0.001). At both ED sites, the proportion of patients meeting the offload target ranged from 58-83% over the timeframe. There was a significant increase in the proportion of patients meeting the benchmark from the first quarter to the last quarter (69.6% vs 75.0%; 95% CI 3.45% to 7.38%, p=0.000). Specific interventions had varying degrees of impact on offload times. Conclusion: The proportion of patients meeting the benchmark offload time varied over the study timeframe but significantly increased with EDST implementation. Offload times are one of many outcomes we aim to improve with EDST and it remains an ongoing process as new interventions continue to be implemented. Once transformation is complete, future studies will focus on the impact of EDST on all ED flow metrics, and patient and provider satisfaction.

scholarly journals Emergency Department Referral Profile of Traumatic Brain Injury Records at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Khan ◽  
Uzair Yaqoob ◽  
Zair Hassan ◽  
Muhammad Muizz Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Mild Tbi ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world and the impact is much worse in Pakistan. The objective here is to describe the epidemiological characteristics of patients with TBI in our country and to determine the immediate outcomes of patients with TBI after the presentation.Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan. Data were extracted from the medical records from January 1st to December 31st, 2019. Patient age, sex, type of trauma, and immediate outcome of the referral to the Emergency Department were recorded. The severity of TBI was categorized based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) in mild (GCS 13-15), moderate (GCS 9-12), and severe (GCS <8) classes. The Emergency Department referral profile was classified as admissions, disposed, detained and disposed, referred.Results: Out of 5047 patients, 3689 (73.1%) males and 1358 (26.9%) females. The most commonly affected age group was 0-10 years (25.6%) and 21-30 years (20.1%). Road Traffic accident was the predominant cause of injury (38.8%, n=1960) followed by fall (32.7%, n=1649). Most (93.6%, n=4710) of the TBIs were mild. After the full initial assessment and workup, and completing all first-aid management, the immediate outcome was divided into four, most frequent (67.2%, n=3393) of which was “disposed (discharged)”, and 9.3% (n=470) were admitted for further management.Conclusion: Our study represents a relatively commonplace picture of epidemiological data on the burden of TBI in Pakistan. As a large proportion of patients had a mild TBI, and there is a high risk of mild TBI being under-diagnosed, we warrant further investigation of mild TBI in population-based studies.

scholarly journals LO79: The impact of access block on consultation time in the emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S36-S37
Author(s):  
L. Carroll ◽  
M. Nemnom ◽  
E. Kwok ◽  
V. Thiruganasambandamoorthy
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Inpatient Service ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Consultation Request ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Consultation Time

Introduction: Access block (AB) is the most important indicator of Emergency Department (ED) crowding, but the impact of AB on consultation time has not been described. Our objectives were to determine if ED AB affects inpatient service consultation time, and operational and patient outcomes. Methods: We conducted a health records review of all ED patients referred and admitted at a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital over 60-days. A computational algorithm determined hourly ED AB at the time of consultation request, and observational cohorts were determined based on ED AB high (&gt;35% ED bed capacity occupied by admitted patients) or low (&lt;35%). The outcomes included total consultation time (TCT), ED physician initial assessment (PIA) time, ED length of stay (LOS), transfer time to inpatient bed (TTB), hospital LOS, return to ED (RTED) within 30 days, and 30-day mortality. Results: We included 2,871 patients (48% male; M = 63 years, IQR 45–78), and the low AB cohort were higher acuity (N = 1,692; 50.4% CTAS 1–2) than the high AB cohort (N = 1,179; 47.1% CTAS 1–2). Median TCT was not significantly different (low = 209min, high = 212min; p = 0.09), and there was no difference in consults completed within the 3-hour institutional time target (low = 41.1%, high = 40.9%; p = 0.89). Median ED PIA time was not significantly different (low = 66min, high = 68min; p = 0.08), however, patients seen within the funding-associated provincial ED PIA time target was significantly less during high AB (high = 82.2%, low = 89.2%; p &lt; 0.001). Median ED LOS was significantly longer during high AB (high = 12.1hr, low = 11.1hr; p = 0.009), but median hospital LOS was not different (high = 109.5hr, low = 112.4hr; p = 0.44). Median TTB was significantly longer during high AB (high = 8.0hr, low = 5.9hr; p = 0.0004). There was no difference in RTED visits (high = 12.4%, low = 10.6%; p = 0.15) or 30-day mortality (high = 8.4%, low = 9.2%; p = 0.51). Conclusion: In conclusion, consultation time is not affected by AB. However, boarding admitted patients in the ED impairs our ability to meet funding-associated performance metrics. Reducing boarding time should be an ED and hospital-wide priority, as it negatively impacts funding and delays patient care.

scholarly journals LO06: Effects of emergency department system transformation (EDST) on patient experience of emergency department visits

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (S1) ◽  
pp. S8-S8
Author(s):  
S. Danby ◽  
K. Van Aarsen ◽  
M. Columbus ◽  
A. Dukelow
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Experience ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
System Transformation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Kappa Score ◽  
Perfect Agreement

Introduction: Emergency Department Systems Transformation (EDST) is a bundle of Toyota Production System based interventions partially implemented in two Canadian tertiary care Emergency Departments (ED) between June 2014- July 2016 with the goal to improve patient care by increasing value and reducing waste. Some of the 17 primary interventions included computerized physician order entry optimization, staff schedule realignment, physician scorecards and a novel initial assessment process. Some interventions have only been partially implemented due to persistent access block. This project was designed to examine the effect of partial EDST implementation on patient experience of emergency department visits. Patient satisfaction has been linked to improved patient outcomes, improved adherence to physician instruction, and improved provider satisfaction. Methods: Semi structured interviews were conducted over three distinct time periods (summer 2015, 2016 and 2017) to encompass progressive levels of EDST implementation. The interviews focused on the patients perceptions in each of 4 stages of their ED visit - Check-in, assessment, reassessment, and disposition. Patients were asked a list of positive (respected, listened to, supported, safe) and negative (in pain, worried, confused, frustrated) emotions frequently experienced and asked if they felt any of these emotions during their ED stay. Open ended questions were also asked about their overall visit. Descriptive statistics were calculated as differences in the proportion of patients feeling each emotion across timeframes. The open-ended question was coded by two reviewers as positive, negative or mixed. A kappa score was calculated to determine reviewer agreement. Results: 987 interviews were completed. In general, the proportion of patients feeling negative emotions remained consistent while positive emotions increased as EDST implementation progressed. For open-ended responses, the percentage of overtly positive experiences increased significantly from 2015 to 2017 (p=0.006), while overtly negative experiences did not significantly change. Reviewers agreed in the coding of the open-ended responses in 97.6% of surveys. The kappa score for reviewer agreement was 0.96 (95%CI 0.94-0.98) indicating almost perfect agreement. Conclusion: Partial implementation of EDST positively impacted patients experience of emergency department visits.

Impact of 24/7 Onsite Emergency Radiology Staff Coverage on Emergency Department Workflow

2021 ◽  
pp. 084653712110238
Author(s):  
Francesco Macri ◽  
Bonnie T. Niu ◽  
Shannon Erdelyi ◽  
John R. Mayo ◽  
Faisal Khosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Major Trauma ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
High Acuity ◽  
Time Series Approach ◽  
Comparison Series ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: Assess the impact of 24/7/365 emergency trauma radiology (ETR) coverage on Emergency Department (ED) patient flow in an urban, quaternary-care teaching hospital. Methods: Patient ED visit and imaging information were extracted from the hospital patient care information system for 2008 to 2018. An interrupted time-series approach with a comparison group was used to study the impact of 24/7/365 ETR on average monthly ED length of stay (ED-LOS) and Emergency Physician to disposition time (EP-DISP). Linear regression models were fit with abrupt and permanent interrupts for 24/7/365 ETR, a coefficient for comparison series and a SARIMA error term; subgroup analyses were performed by patient arrival time, imaging type and chief complaint. Results: During the study period, there were 949,029 ED visits and 739,796 diagnostic tests. Following implementation of 24/7/365 coverage, we found a significant decrease in EP-DISP time for patients requiring only radiographs (-29 min;95%CI:-52,-6) and a significant increase in EP-DISP time for major trauma patients (46 min;95%CI:13,79). No significant change in patient throughput was observed during evening hours for any patient subgroup. For overnight patients, there was a reduction in EP-DISP for patients with symptoms consistent with stroke (-78 min;95%CI:-131,-24) and for high acuity patients who required imaging (-33 min;95%CI:-57,-10). Changes in ED-LOS followed a similar pattern. Conclusions: At our institution, 24/7/365 in-house ETR staff radiology coverage was associated with improved ED flow for patients requiring only radiographs and for overnight stroke and high acuity patients. Major trauma patients spent more time in the ED, perhaps reflecting the required multidisciplinary management.

scholarly journals Immediate Outcomes of Traumatic Brain Injury at a Tertiary Care Hospital Of Pakistan- A Retrospective Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Khan ◽  
Uzair Yaqoob ◽  
Zair Hassan ◽  
Muhammad Muizz Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Hospital Data ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world and the impact is much worse in Pakistan. The objective of the study is to describe the epidemiological characteristics of patients with TBI in our country and to determine the immediate outcomes of patients with TBI after the presentation.Method: This retrospective study was conducted at the Lady Reading Hospital. Data were extracted from the medical record room from January 1st to December 31st, 2019. The severity of TBI was based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and was divided into mild (GCS 13-15), moderate (GCS 9-12), and severe TBI (GCS <8) based on the GCS. SPSS v.23 was used for data analysis. Results: Out of 5047 patients, 3689 (73.1%) males and 1358 (26.9%) females. The most commonly affected age group was 0-10 years (25.6%) and 21-30 years (20.1%). was the predominant cause of injury (38.8%, n=1960) followed by fall (32.7%, n=1649). Most (93.6%, n=4710) of the TBIs were mild. After the full initial assessment and workup, and completing all first-aid management, the immediate outcome was divided into four, most frequent (67.2%, n=3393) of which was “disposed (discharged)”, and 9.3% (n=470) were admitted for further management.Conclusion: Our study represents a relatively conclusive picture of epidemiological data on the burden of TBI in Pakistan. Although a large proportion of patients had a mild TBI, they may likely be under-diagnosed. This warrants for further investigation of MTBI in population-based studies across the globe.

scholarly journals Retrospective evaluation of healthcare utilisation and mortality of two post-discharge care programmes in Singapore

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e027220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Yi Han Ang ◽  
Chuen Seng Tan ◽  
Milawaty Nurjono ◽  
Xin Quan Tan ◽  
Gerald Choon-Huat Koh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Health System ◽  
Emergency Admission ◽  
Healthcare Utilisation ◽  
Lower Mortality ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Discharge Care ◽  
High Acuity ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact on healthcare utilisation frequencies and charges, and mortality of a programme for frequent hospital utilisers and a programme for patients requiring high acuity post-discharge care as part of an integrated healthcare model.DesignA retrospective quasi-experimental study without randomisation where patients who received post-discharge care interventions were matched 1:1 with unenrolled patients as controls.SettingThe National University Health System (NUHS) Regional Health System (RHS), which was one of six RHS in Singapore, implemented the NUHS RHS Integrated Interventions and Care Extension (NICE) programme for frequent hospital utilisers and the NUHS Transitional Care Programme (NUHS TCP) for high acuity post-discharge care. The programmes were supported by the Ministry of Health in Singapore, which is a city-state nation located in Southeast Asia with a 5.6 million population.ParticipantsLinked healthcare administrative data, for the time period of January 2013 to December 2016, were extracted for patients enrolled in NICE (n=554) or NUHS TCP (n=270) from June 2014 to December 2015, and control patients.InterventionsFor both programmes, teams conducted follow-up home visits and phone calls to monitor and manage patients’ post-discharge.Primary outcome measuresOne-year pre- and post-enrolment healthcare utilisation frequencies and charges of all-cause inpatient admissions, emergency admissions, emergency department attendances, specialist outpatient clinic (SOC) attendances, total inpatient length of stay and mortality rates were compared.ResultsPatients in NICE had lower mortality rate, but higher all-cause inpatient admission, emergency admission and emergency department attendance charges. Patients in NUHS TCP did not have lower mortality rate, but had higher emergency admission and SOC attendance charges.ConclusionsBoth NICE and NUHS TCP had no improvements in 1 year healthcare utilisation across various setting and metrics. Singular interventions might not be as impactful in effecting utilisation without an overhauling transformation and restructuring of the hospital and healthcare system.

scholarly journals P139: The impact of a pancreatitis admission algorithm on emergency department length of stay in a tertiary care academic hospital

CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S114-S115
Author(s):  
A. Albina ◽  
F. Kegel ◽  
F. Dankoff ◽  
G. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Physician Satisfaction ◽  
Academic Hospital ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Potential Applicability ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Algorithm Implementation ◽  
The Impact

Background: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is associated with a broad spectrum of poor medical outcomes, including medical errors, mortality, higher rates of leaving without being seen, and reduced patient and physician satisfaction. The largest contributor to overcrowding is access block – the inability of admitted patients to access in-patient beds from the ED. One component to addressing access block involves streamlining the decision process to rapidly determine which hospital service will admit the patient. Aim Statement: As of Sep 2011, admission algorithms at our institution were supported and formalised. The pancreatitis algorithm clarified whether general surgery or internal medicine would admit ED patients with pancreatitis. We hypothesize that this prior uncertainty delayed the admission decision and prolonged ED length of stay (LOS) for patients with pancreatitis. Our project evaluates whether implementing a pancreatitis admission algorithm at our institution reduced ED time to disposition (TTD) and LOS. Measures & Design: A retrospective review was conducted in a tertiary care academic hospital in Montreal for all adult ED patients diagnosed with pancreatitis from Apr 2010 to Mar 2014. The data was used to plot separate run charts for ED TTD and LOS. Serial measurements of each outcome were used to monitor change and evaluate for special cause variation. The mean ED LOS and TTD before and after algorithm implementation were also compared using the Student's t test. Evaluation/Results: Over four years, a total of 365 ED patients were diagnosed with pancreatitis and 287 (79%) were admitted. The mean ED LOS for patients with pancreatitis decreased following the implementation of an admission algorithm (1616 vs. 1418 mins, p = 0.05). The mean ED TTD was also reduced (1171 vs. 899 mins, p = 0.0006). A non-random signal of change was suggested by a shift above the median prior to algorithm implementation and one below the median following. Discussion/Impact: This project demonstrates that in a busy tertiary care academic hospital, an admission algorithm helped reduce ED TTD and LOS for patients with pancreatitis. This proves especially valuable when considering the potential applicability of such algorithms to other disease processes, such as gastrointestinal bleeding and congestive heart failure, among others. Future studies demonstrating this external applicability, and the impact of such decision algorithms on physician decision fatigue and within non-academic institutions, proves warranted.

scholarly journals P108: Characterizing use of next-day ultrasound from the emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S103
Author(s):  
C. Roberts ◽  
T. Oyedokun ◽  
B. Cload ◽  
L. Witt
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Improve Patient Care ◽  
Additional Stress ◽  
Start Date ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospitals ◽  
Improve Patient

Introduction: Formal ultrasound imaging, with use of ultrasound technicians and radiologists, provides a valuable diagnostic component to patient care in the Emergency Department (ED). Outside of regular weekday hours, ordering formal ultrasounds can produce logistical difficulties. EDs have developed protocols for next-day ultrasounds, where the patient returns the following day for imaging and reassessment by an ED physician. This creates additional stress on ED resources – personnel, bed space, finances – that are already strained. There is a dearth of literature regarding the use of next-day ultrasounds or guidelines to direct efficient use. This study sought to accumulate data on the use of ED next-day ultrasounds and patient oriented clinical outcomes. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of 150 patients, 75 from each of two different tertiary care hospitals in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. After a predetermined start date, convenience samples were collected of all patients who had undergone a next-day ultrasound ordered from the ED until the quota was satisfied. Patients were identified by an electronic medical record search for specific triage note phrases indicating use of next-day ultrasounds. Different demographic, clinical, and administrative parameters were collected and analyzed. Results: Of the 150 patients, the mean age was 35.9 years and 75.3% were female. Median length of stay for the first visit was 4.1 hours, and 2.2 hours for the return visit. Most common ultrasound scans performed were abdomen and pelvis/gyne (34.7%), complete abdomen (30.0%), duplex extremity venous (10.0%). Most common indications on the ultrasound requisition were nonspecific abdominal pain (18.7%), vaginal bleeding with or without pregnancy (17.3%), and hepatobiliary pathology (15.3%). Ultrasounds results reported a relevant finding 56% of the time, and 34% were completely normal. After the next-day ultrasound 5.3% of patients had a CT scan, 10.7% had specialist consultation, 8.2% were admitted, and 7.3% underwent surgery. Conclusion: Information was gathered to close gaps in knowledge about the use of next-day ultrasounds from the ED. A large proportion of patients are discharged home without further interventions. Additional research and the development of next-day ultrasound guidelines or outpatient pathways may improve patient care and ED resource utilization.

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