Tracking the patient journey by combining multiple hospital database systems.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Hospital Management
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Public hospitals face new targets for patient flow to enhance efficiency.
• Effective patient flow management is crucial for optimizing patient care and resource utilization.
• Knowledge of factors influencing length of stay is vital for hospital operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the feasibility of integrating data from disparate hospital databases.
• To enable comprehensive tracking of patient journeys from admission to discharge.
• To support improved hospital bed management and surgical scheduling.

Main Methods:

• Case study conducted at a tertiary hospital.
• Integration of data from three distinct operational databases.
• Development of a method to follow individual patient pathways.

Main Results:

• Successful integration of data from multiple sources was achieved.
• A methodology for tracking patient journeys across the hospital was established.
• Demonstrated the possibility of a unified view of patient flow.

Conclusions:

• Integrating data from multiple hospital databases is feasible.
• This integrated approach facilitates a clear understanding of patient journeys.
• Improved patient flow knowledge supports better hospital resource management and scheduling.