Ready-JET-Go: Split Flow Accelerates ED Throughput.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Operations Management
• Patient Flow Optimization

Background:

• Emergency departments (EDs) face challenges meeting patient throughput metrics set by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• An adult ED serving Burlington and Camden Counties, New Jersey, aimed to improve care delivery by adopting patient segmentation strategies.
• The split-flow process of patient care was identified as a potential solution to enhance efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To redefine the ED care delivery model using patient segmentation through a split-flow process.
• To improve patient throughput and satisfaction metrics within the emergency department.
• To assess the impact of split-flow implementation on patient care and operational efficiency.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary team of ED clinicians collaboratively defined patient segmentation criteria.
• A joint assessment team approach to patient care was instituted.
• Staff training utilized a 3-pronged approach aligned with Institute of Medicine frameworks; simulation and queuing analyses informed resource needs.

Main Results:

• The split-flow implementation led to significant improvements in patient throughput and satisfaction.
• Despite a 10% increase in patient volume, median length of stay decreased from 192 to 112 minutes.
• Door-to-diagnostic evaluation time was reduced from 72 to 30 minutes.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative stakeholder engagement in defining care models and resource allocation is crucial for EDs.
• The split-flow process enables cost-effective changes leading to sustained improvements in patient throughput.
• Optimizing care delivery models and resource assignments can enhance emergency department performance and patient outcomes.