Impact of Physician Navigators on productivity indicators in the ED.

OBJECTIVES: We created Physician Navigators in our ED to help improve emergency physician (EP) productivity. We aimed to quantify the effect of Physician Navigators on measures of EP productivity: patient seen per hour (Pt/hr), and turn-around time (TAT) to discharge. Secondary objectives included examining their impact on measures of ED throughput for non-resuscitative patients: ED length of stay (LOS), door-to-physician time and left-without-being-seen rates (LWBS). METHODS: In this retrospective study, 6845 clinical shifts worked by 20 EPs at a community ED in Newmarket, Canada from 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2015 were evaluated. Using a clustered design, we compared productivity measures between shifts with and without Physician Navigators, by physician. We used a linear mixed model to examine mean changes in Pt/hr and TAT to discharge for EPs who employed Physician Navigators. For secondary objectives, autoregressive modelling was performed to compare ED throughput metrics before and after the implementation of Physician Navigators for non-resuscitative patients. RESULTS: Patient volumes increased by 20 patients per day (p<0.001). Mean Pt/hr increased by 1.07 patients per hour (0.98 to 1.16, p<0.001). The mean TAT to discharge decreased by 10.6 min (-13.2 to -8.0, p<0.001). After implementation of the Physician Navigator programme, overall mean LOS for non-resuscitative patients decreased by 2.6 min (p=0.007), and mean door-to-physician time decreased by 7.4 min (p<0.001). LBWS rates decreased from 1.13% to 0.63% of daily patient volume (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Despite an ED volume increase, the use of a Physician Navigator was associated with significant improvements in EP productivity, and significant reductions in ED throughput times.

Impact of process improvements on measures of emergency department efficiency.

OBJECTIVE: To study the operational impact of process improvements on emergency department (ED) patient flow. The changes did not require any increase in resources or expenditures. METHODS: This was a 36-month pre- and post-intervention study to evaluate the effect of implementing process improvements at a community ED from January 2010 to December 2012. The intervention comprised streamlining triage by having patients accepted into internal waiting areas immediately after triage. Within the ED, parallel processes unfolded, and there was no restriction on when registration occurred or which health care provider a patient saw first. Flexible nursing ratios allowed nursing staff to redeploy and move to areas of highest demand. Last, demand-based physician scheduling was implemented. The main outcome was length of stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes included time to physician initial assessment (PIA), left-without-being-seen (LWBS) rates, and left-against-medical-advice (LAMA) rates. Segmented regression of interrupted time series analysis was performed to quantify the impact of the intervention, and whether it was sustained. RESULTS: Patients totalling 251,899 attended the ED during the study period. Daily patient volumes increased 17.3% during the post-intervention period. Post-intervention, mean LOS decreased by 0.64 hours (p<0.005). LOS for non-admitted Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale 2 (-0.58 hours, p<0.005), 3 (-0.75 hours, p<0.005), and 4 (-0.32 hours, p<0.005) patients also decreased. There were reductions in PIA (43.81 minutes, p<0.005), LWBS (35.2%, p<0.005), and LAMA (61.9%, p<0.005). CONCLUSION: A combination of process improvements in the ED was associated with clinically significant reductions in LOS, PIA, LWBS, and LAMA for non-resuscitative patients.

Process Improvements to Reform Patient Flow in the Emergency Department.

Emergency departments (ED) function to diagnose, stabilize, manage and dispose patients as efficiently as possible. Although problems may be suspected at triage, ED physician input is required at each step of the patient journey through the ED, from diagnosis to disposition. If we want timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment and great outcomes, then ED processes should connect patients and physicians as quickly as possible. This article discusses the key concepts of ED patient flow, value and efficiency. Based on these fundamentals, it describes the significant impact of ED process improvements implemented on measures of ED efficiency at a large community ED in Ontario, Canada.

Transfer for urgent percutaneous coronary intervention early after thrombolysis for ST-elevation myocardial infarction: the TRANSFER-AMI pilot feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Most hospitals in Canada do not have percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) facilities and use thrombolysis as reperfusion therapy for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Urgent PCI after thrombolysis may optimize reperfusion and prevent reinfarction and recurrent ischemia. OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of transferring high-risk STEMI patients from community hospitals in Ontario to PCI centres for urgent PCI within 6 h of thrombolysis. METHODS: Patients with anterior or high-risk inferior STEMI received tenecteplase and were urgently transferred to PCI centres. PCI was performed if at least 70% stenosis was present in the infarct-related artery, regardless of flow, using coronary stents. Transfer of stable patients back to community hospitals was encouraged 24 h to 48 h after PCI. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were transferred and underwent PCI a median of 3.9 h (range 2.7 h to 6.4 h) after thrombolysis. No complications occurred during transfer. One death occurred that was related to failed reperfusion and cardiogenic shock. Minor access-site bleeding occurred in five patients. Fifteen patients were transferred back to their community hospitals within 24 h of PCI. There were no further deaths or reinfarctions at one-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Transfer of high-risk STEMI patients for urgent PCI within 6 h after thrombolysis appears feasible. The randomized trial phase of the Trial of Routine ANgioplasty and Stenting after Fibrinolysis to Enhance Reperfusion in Acute Myocardial Infarction (TRANSFER-AMI) will compare this strategy with standard treatment after thrombolysis.