
Abstract proposal for ePoster display at:
International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare Copenhagen 2023
Fast assessment track in a Danish Emergency Department
Context:
The Emergency Department, Viborg Regional Hospital, Regional Hospital Central Jutland, Denmark.
The Emergency Department (ED) has 38 beds and approximately 36.000 visits annually. In total about 22.000 of the patients are discharged directly from the ED.
Aproximately 110 nurses and 36 physicians are employed at the ED.
Sponsors: 1 head nurse, 1 chief nurse and 1 chief physician
Resource persons: 1 ED nurse, 1 ED physician and 1 medical secretary
Patientgroup: Acute patients, who are stable and of low complexity. These patients are mainly self-reliant and their triage score are low compared to the triage system, DEPT.
Problem:
This patientgroup were hospitalised for longer despite their low triage score.
Telephone interviews with patients were characterized by frustration and surprise over the waiting
time and the length of stay at the ED.
The purpose:
- To give these patients a quick and efficient assessment and treatment, with the aim of reducing the waiting time for patients while increasing patient safety and patient satisfaction
- To strengthen patient safety for the next acute patient, as there will be both an examination room and staff ready to receive the patient
- To increase the flow in the ED and reduce daily overcrowding
Assessment of problem and analysis of its causes:
The workflow was analysed and the staff group was involved in this description.
We also conducted two focus group interviews with the staff.
Intervention:
Improvements implemented
- Decision making support tool
- Inclusion via hospital referral centre, flow coordinator, ED physician and ED nurse
- Interdisciplinary reception at the ED around the clock, every day of the week
- Actioncards for ED physicians and ED nurses
- The patients are registered as inpatients
Strategy for change:
Performance goal number 1, March 2022:
The patient is discharged within 4 hours. Baseline 6 hours
Performance goal number 2, March 2022:
Patients included increased to 4/day. Baseline 1-2/day
Performance goal number 3, May 2022:
90% of patients are discharged from the track. Baseline: 70%
Feedback from staff: Interviews, emails, meetings with resource persons and sponsors.
Feedback from patients: Interviews and feedback via questionnaire delivered and collected under admission.
Measurement of improvement:
The Model of Improvement is used as the approach to measure the effekt of change.
Therefore, we used PDSA-cycles combined with data (Business Intelligence), flow diagrams and time series charts.
System of profound knowledge is used to understand how appreciation of a system, variation, building knowledge and the human side of change interrelate during the improvement project.
Goal 1 was reached in spring 2022 with the median 2,5. However after testing PDSA number 5 in July 2022 the hours spent in the fast track increased even though 55% of the patients were discharged from the fast track within 4 hours.
Goal 2 was not accomplished as expected in March 2022. This goal was accomplished with the PDSA cycle number 5 in July.
Goal 3 has been accomplished since April 2022.
Effects of changes:
The fast assessment track:
- Reduces waiting time for stable patients of low complexity
- Focuses documentation
- Improves the interdisciplinary cooperation and matching of expectations
- Secures effective utilisation of ressources
The main challenge experienced during the period of evolving the fast assessment track was that the ED went through another major reorganization. This caused some delay and anxiety among the clinicians.
Lessons learned:
System: Several concurrent changes at the same time is a challenge
Variation: A good and close collaboration with dataexperts is essential
Building knowledge: Learn from experiences in other ED´s
The human side of change: Involving clinicians to secure meaningfulness and motivation for change.
Messages for others:
- Involve colleagues in the progress of the project and in all tests
- Engage with resource persons to test PDSA cycles
- Attention and backing of the leader is essential
- Dashboard for information and communication of data and PDSA cycles
- It is possible to change even in holidays as long as both clinicians and leadership agree
How we have involved patients and carers in the project:
Through the project we have involved both patients and clinicians via qualitative feedback, interviews and meetings.