Provider interruptions and patient perceptions of care: an observational study in the emergency department

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 296-304
Author(s):  
Anna Schneider ◽  
Markus Wehler ◽  
Matthias Weigl
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Multiple Testing ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Patient Perceptions ◽  
Tertiary Referral Hospital ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Perceptions Of Care

BackgroundInterruptions are endemic in healthcare work environments. Yet, they can have positive effects in some instances and negative in others, with their net effect on quality of care still poorly understood. We aimed to distinguish beneficial and detrimental forms of interruptions of emergency department (ED) providers using patients’ perceptions of ED care as a quality measure.MethodsAn observational design was established. The study setting was an interdisciplinary ED of an academic tertiary referral hospital. Frequencies of interruption sources and contents were identified in systematic expert observations of ED physicians and nurses. Concurrently, patients rated overall quality of care, ED organisation, patient information and waiting times using a standardised survey. Associations were assessed with hierarchical linear models controlling for daily ED workload. Regression results were adjusted for multiple testing. Additionally, analyses were computed for ED physicians and nurses, separately.ResultsOn 40 days, 160 expert observation sessions were conducted. 1418 patients were surveyed. Frequent interruptions initiated by patients were associated with higher overall quality of care and ED organisation. Interruptions relating to coordination activities were associated with improved ratings of ED waiting times. However, interruptions containing information on previous cases were associated with inferior ratings of ED organisation. Specifically for nurses, overall interruptions were associated with superior patient reports of waiting time.ConclusionsProvider interruptions were differentially associated with patient perceptions of care. Whereas coordination-related and patient-initiated interruptions were beneficial to patient-perceived efficiency of ED operations, interruptions due to case-irrelevant communication were related to inferior patient ratings of ED organisation. The design of resilient healthcare systems requires a thorough consideration of beneficial and harmful effects of interruptions on providers’ workflows and patient safety.

scholarly journals Improving patient waiting times and quality of care by arranging access to notes from a neighbouring trust

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S175-S176
Author(s):  
Georgios Basdanis ◽  
Cormac Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Median Time ◽  
Discharge Planning ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
North West ◽  
Time Required

AimsWe aim to improve waiting times in the Emergency Department and improve the overall quality of care of out-of-area patients by arranging for the liaison team to have access to the electronic notes system of a neighbouring trust.MethodSt Thomas’ Hospital is located in south London, right opposite the City of Westminster. As a result, approximately 20% of patients we see in mental health liaison are from that locality. Given that they belong to a different trust, we do not have access to their notes, which leads to a delay in trying to establish whether they are known to local mental health services. Often, staff are reluctant to divulge information. When information is shared, it is often late and/or incomplete. We approached the Chief Clinical Information Officer and Head of Information Governance from Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Foundation Trust. We held weekly meetings which included both IT departments. Our IT had to install the electronic notes application (SystmOne) on our computers and open relevant firewall ports. The information is access through an NHS Smartcard, therefore CNWL had to authorise read-only Smartcard profiles for every member of the liaison team. A quick reference guide was created for all staff that would be using the new application. The system went live on 21 January 2021.ResultWe audited patient outcomes in December 2020 and February 2021 for initial comparison. In December 2020, the median time from referral to discharge was 6 hours 35 minutes. 25% of patients were admitted and 17% discharged with HTT. In February 2021, the median time from referral to discharge was 3 hours 19 minutes. 16% of patients were admitted and 5% discharged with HTT.ConclusionIt is likely that by reducing the time required for collateral information, overall waiting times in the emergency department will be reduced. Clinicians are likely to feel more confident in their discharge planning if they have access to all clinical notes and previous risk assessments, which might in turn reduce referrals to HTT or admission. There should be further attempts by neighbouring NHS trusts, especially in London, to ensure access to their electronic notes system in order to reduce waiting times and improve the quality of patient care. We have already been approached for more information by a trust in North London who are interested in establishing access to a neighbouring trust's notes.

Teamwork – a way to improve patient perceptions of the quality of care in an emergency department: an intervention study with follow-up

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Muntlin Athlin ◽  
Nasim Farrokhnia ◽  
Ulrica Von Thiele Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Intervention Study ◽  
Patient Perceptions ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Organizational Changes ◽  
Control Phase ◽  
Targeted Interventions

Rationale, aims and objectives: Targeted interventions are suggested for improving patient perceptions of the emergency care they have received. However, organizational changes are another way of addressing these issues. Structured evaluation of such changes is warranted. The overall aim was to investigate how organizational changes aimed to support multi-professional teamwork in the emergency department (ED) could affect patients’ perceptions of the quality of care.Method: The introduction of multi-professional teamwork in an emergency department at a Swedish university hospital was evaluated using an intervention study design. Weeks with standard procedure were interchanged with and compared to, intervention weeks over a 4-week period and follow-up after 1.5 years. In total, 203 patients completed the questionnaire “Quality from the Patient’s Perspective (QPP)”. Results: Of 4 dimensions, 3 (medical-technical, identity-oriented approach and socio-cultural atmosphere) showed increasing improvements from the control phase to follow-up. Seven of 22 items concerning quality of care in the emergency department improved significantly from baseline to intervention and to follow-up. The number of areas in need of improvement was dramatically reduced in the intervention phase compared to the control phase and overall the results were sustained 1.5 years later. Significant differences between the study phases in patient perceptions of waiting time were also noted.Conclusion: Multi-professional teamwork has previously been related to improved patient safety and lead time efficiency. Findings show that it may also be related to improvements in patients’ perceptions of quality of care in the emergency department. Emphasizing this relationship may enhance the patient-centered care approach of emergency departments.

scholarly journals Patient Satisfaction in a University Hospital Emergency Department in Turkey

2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cuma Yildirim ◽  
Hasan Koçoğlu ◽  
Sıtkı Göksu ◽  
Nurullah Gunay ◽  
Haluk Savas
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Patient Dissatisfaction ◽  
Insurance Carrier

Objective: Patient satisfaction, an indicator of the quality of care provided by emergency department (ED) personnel, is a significant issue for EDs. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and to describe demographic characteristics of those surveyed in a university hospital ED. Methods: All adult patients who consecutively presented to the ED between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays were included in the study. Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire prior to discharge. The questionnaire asked about the attitude, politeness, and efficiency of the medical and ancillary staff, the reason for preferring our centre and reasons for dissatisfaction. Results: Two-hundred and forty-five adult patients presenting to our ED were included in this study. Forty-five percent of patients preferred our ED because of the previous perception of higher quality of care, informed by other people previously treated in this ED unit, and 35% because of restrictions by their health insurance carrier. The main causes of patient dissatisfaction were lengthy waiting times (27%). Conclusion: As a result, lengthy waiting time was the major reason for patient dissatisfaction, and high quality care together with insurance restrictions were the main reasons for preference of this university hospital ED.

Quality of Care in an Emergency Department from the Perspective of Traffic Injury Patients

2006 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carin Franzén ◽  
Ulf Björnstig ◽  
Christine Bruhlin ◽  
Lilian Jansson ◽  
Hans Stenlund
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Traffic Injury
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