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The Discharge Lounge: A Patient Flow Process Solution
Rebecca Woods1, Rebecca Sandoval, Gregory Vermillion
1Nursing Department (Mss Woods, Bates-Jackson, and Nwankwo, Dr Sandoval, and Mr Vermillion) and Quality Improvement Department (Drs Canamar and Sarff), LAC + USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
|May 21, 2020
Summary
Increasing discharge lounge (DL) usage improved patient flow and reduced hospital overcrowding. Interventions like staff education and visual cues boosted DL utilization, demonstrating its effectiveness in streamlining care transitions.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Hospital Operations
- Patient Flow Optimization
Background:
- Hospital overcrowding is a significant issue linked to inefficient patient flow.
- Discharge lounge (DL) utilization is a key factor in managing patient flow.
- Improving DL usage can alleviate hospital overcrowding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance patient flow by increasing the utilization of the discharge lounge (DL).
- To address inefficient DL use identified through baseline data.
- To implement targeted interventions on a medical-surgical unit with low DL usage.
Main Methods:
- Employed sequential Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles for intervention implementation.
- Conducted nursing staff surveys to inform intervention strategies.
- Assessed the impact of three interventions: staff education on patient eligibility, a recruitment scout, and a visual cue for discharge orders.
Main Results:
- Discharge lounge (DL) usage on the targeted unit increased from 18% to 36%.
- Hospital overcrowding metrics showed a decrease following the intervention.
- Discharge turnaround time was reduced, indicating improved efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The discharge lounge (DL) serves as an effective tool for enhancing patient flow.
- Increased DL usage directly contributes to a reduction in hospital overcrowding.
- Targeted interventions can significantly improve DL utilization and operational efficiency.
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