To prepare for an anticipated increase in patient volume at this hospital, Envision Physician Services worked collaboratively with emergency medicine physicians, case management and others to improve system-wide patient flow.
Strategy
The hospitalist team focused on coordinating early morning discharges for patients who are ready to leave the hospital. Early morning discharges, when medically indicated, reduce average lengths of stay (ALOS), increase patient satisfaction and allow for new direct admits as well as admissions from the emergency department (E.D.). Improved flow from the E.D. effectively increases capacity. Over a six month period, Envision Physician Services provided the following tools and resources:
- Lean facilitation and coaching in Studer Group® tactics
- Training in early morning discharge process Implementation of Rapid Admission Process and Gap Orders™ with Rounding Charge Capture (RAP&GO™/RCC) patient flow software
Using our rounding and charge capture system throughout the day, the hospitalist team and case managers began to effectively identify patients who could be scheduled for discharge the following morning.
Results
The hospital saw a 47 percent increase in discharges occurring before 11 a.m.