Improving PACU Throughput Using an Electronic Dashboard: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Nursing informatics
• Patient flow optimization

Background:

• Patient boarding in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) negatively impacted hospital throughput.
• In 2019, the PACU and operating room (OR) boarder rates were 12% and 5%, respectively.
• Inefficient handoff communication between PACU and medical-surgical floors contributed to delays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance PACU patient throughput.
• To develop an efficient, evidence-based handoff communication process.
• To bridge communication gaps between PACU and medical-surgical units.

Main Methods:

• An interprofessional team developed an electronic nursing patient dashboard for the electronic medical record.
• The dashboard facilitated real-time data sharing (vitals, history, meds, labs) during handoffs.
• A structured communication protocol involved dashboard review followed by verbal report.

Main Results:

• The electronic dashboard significantly decreased PACU and OR patient boarding rates post-implementation.
• Staff acceptance was high, with 70% positive feedback.
• While PACU delay duration showed no significant change, OR boarding duration significantly decreased.

Conclusions:

• An electronic dashboard, combined with verbal reporting, effectively improved patient handoff communication.
• This quality improvement initiative successfully reduced PACU boarding, enhancing overall patient throughput.
• The study highlights the value of technological tools in optimizing hospital operational efficiency.