Virtual Multidisciplinary Rounds to Reduce Length of Stay, Decrease Variation, and Promote Accountability.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Hospital Operations
• Clinical Informatics

Background:

• In-person multidisciplinary rounds are known to improve hospital throughput and reduce length of stay (LOS).
• Limited research exists on the efficacy of virtual multidisciplinary rounds for these key performance indicators.
• The study addresses the need to evaluate virtual models in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of virtual multidisciplinary rounds on hospital length of stay (LOS) and patient throughput.
• To determine if virtual rounds can enhance provider accountability and reduce variation in care.
• To investigate the potential for cost savings through improved hospital efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of virtual multidisciplinary rounds via phone conference calls with diverse healthcare stakeholders.
• Utilization of electronic medical record (EMR) data to create real-time performance dashboards.
• Introduction of unit-based discharge huddles to reinforce the virtual rounds initiative.

Main Results:

• Achieved over 60% of discharges below geometric mean LOS, an increase from 52% pre-initiative.
• Reduced mean observation hours from approximately 44 to 31.9 hours, with sustained improvement.
• Generated $6.7 million in savings by reducing 3,813 excess days in 10 months and decreased hospitalist provider variation.

Conclusions:

• Virtual multidisciplinary rounds, coupled with other interventions, effectively decrease LOS and observation hours.
• The virtual model fosters reduced variation among hospitalists and enhances stakeholder engagement.
• Further research is recommended to explore the effectiveness of virtual multidisciplinary rounds across different patient care settings.