Improving Patient Flow and Reducing Emergency Department Crowding: A Guide for Hospitals

Improving Patient Flow and Reducing Emergency Department Crowding: A Guide for Hospitals

Improving Patient Flow and Reducing Emergency Department Crowding

A Guide for Hospitals This guide presents step-by-step instructions that can be used by hospitals in planning and implementing patient flow improvement strategies to ease emergency department crowding. Select to download print version (PDF File, 825 KB). Plugin Software Help. By Megan McHugh, PhD, Kevin Van Dyke, MPP, Mark McClelland, MN, RN, Dina Moss, MPA. Contents Acknowledgments Executive Summary Section 1. The Need to Address Emergency Department Crowding Section 2. Forming a Patient Flow Team Section 3. Measuring Emergency Department Performance Section 4. Identifying Strategies Section 5. Preparing to Launch Section 6. Facilitating Change and Anticipating Challenges Section 7. Sharing Results References Appendix A: Guide to Online Resources Successfully Used by Hospitals to Improve Patient Flow Appendix B: Implementation Plan Template Appendix C: Example Implementation Plan Appendix D: Additional Readings This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission. The opinions presented in this report are those of the authors, who are responsible for its content, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. AHRQ Publication No. 11(12)-0094 Current as of October 2011 Internet Citation: McHugh, M., Van Dyke, K., McClelland M., Moss D. Improving Patient Flow and Reducing Emergency Department Crowding: A Guide for Hospitals. (Prepared by the Health Research & Educational Trust, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association, under contract 290-200-600022, Task Order No. 6). AHRQ Publication No. 11(12)-0094, October 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/ptflow/