Breaking down the silos to decrease internal diversions and patient flow delays.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Flow Optimization
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Hospitals face challenges managing patient admissions during peak census, leading to internal diversions.
• Siloed care and poor collaboration exacerbate risks, negatively impacting patient safety and flow.
• A tertiary care hospital experienced increased internal diversions within its neuroscience service line.

Purpose of the Study:

• To decrease internal diversions and improve patient flow and safety.
• To enhance collaboration between healthcare providers regarding hospital capacity issues.
• To address the decline or diversion of emergent neuroscience transfers due to capacity.

Main Methods:

• A pilot project was conducted on neuroscience units during a process improvement initiative.
• A hospital-wide internal diversion plan was developed with primary and secondary patient placement options.
• Forecasting tools and daily capacity huddles were implemented to improve information sharing and collaboration.

Main Results:

• The interventions led to a decrease in internal diversions and improved patient flow.
• There was an 80% reduction in declinations of emergent intensive care unit transfers from outside hospitals.
• Internal diversions of these patients to alternate intensive care units decreased by 50%.

Conclusions:

• Implemented interventions successfully minimized internal diversions and enhanced patient flow.
• Increased transparency in patient placement fostered greater collaboration among healthcare teams.
• Improved interprofessional collaboration is key to optimizing patient flow and safety during high-demand periods.