Advanced Practice Provider-Led Strategies to Improve Patient Discharge Timeliness

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Operations
• Clinical Process Improvement
• Patient Flow Management

Background:

• Hospitals experience financial and capacity constraints impacting clinical operations.
• Effective capacity management is crucial for optimizing patient flow and throughput.
• Efficient patient discharge is a complex but vital component of hospital patient flow.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline a project focused on improving patient discharge timeliness.
• To design and implement a safe and efficient patient discharge prototype.
• To address the lack of understanding in efficient patient discharge processes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized design thinking to develop a patient discharge prototype.
• Appointed advanced practice providers as principal leaders for the discharge project.
• Incorporated high-tech solutions within the electronic medical record system.

Main Results:

• The developed patient discharge prototype led to improved discharge times.
• Enhanced communication across care phases was achieved through integrated technology.
• The interdisciplinary team was better informed of patient progress.

Conclusions:

• Advanced practice provider-led initiatives can significantly improve discharge timeliness.
• Design thinking is an effective methodology for creating efficient healthcare processes.
• Integrating technology into the electronic medical record system enhances care coordination and patient throughput.