Improving Service Quality by Understanding Emergency Department Flow: A White Paper and Position Statement Prepared For the American Academy of Emergency Medicine

Abstract Emergency Department (ED) crowding is a common problem in the United States and around the world. Process reengineering methods can be used to understand factors that contribute to crowding and provide tools to help alleviate crowding by improving service quality and patient flow. In this a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Journal of emergency medicine Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 70 - 79
Main Authors Eitel, Dave R., MD, MBA, Rudkin, Scott E., MD, MBA, Malvehy, M. Albert, MD, Killeen, James P., MD, Pines, Jesse M., MD, MBA, MSCE
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Elsevier Inc 2010
Subjects
administration
Computer Simulation
Crowding
Efficiency, Organizational
Emergency
emergency department crowding
Emergency Service, Hospital - organization & administration
Humans
position statement
throughput
Total Quality Management - methods
Total Quality Management - statistics & numerical data
United States
Workflow
workflow solutions
United States
throughput
position statement
administration
emergency department crowding
workflow solutions
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Summary:Abstract Emergency Department (ED) crowding is a common problem in the United States and around the world. Process reengineering methods can be used to understand factors that contribute to crowding and provide tools to help alleviate crowding by improving service quality and patient flow. In this article, we describe the ED as a service business and then discuss specific methods to improve the ED quality and flow. Methods discussed include demand management, critical pathways, process-mapping, Emergency Severity Index triage, bedside registration, Lean and Six Sigma management methods, statistical forecasting, queuing systems, discrete event simulation modeling and balanced scorecards. The purpose of this review is to serve as a background for emergency physicians and managers interested in applying process reengineering methods to improving ED flow, reducing waiting times, and maximizing patient satisfaction. Finally, we present a position statement on behalf of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine addressing these issues.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
content type line 23
ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:0736-4679
2352-5029
DOI:10.1016/j.jemermed.2008.03.038