Case Studies

Emergency Service Partners has the privilege of partnering with top-quality healthcare institutions that are dedicated to excellence within the Emergency Department. These case studies are the result of joint efforts between hospital administration, nursing, staff, and Emergency Service Partners.

Case Study #1
Customer Service

Case Study #2
Customer Service

Case Study #3
Customer Service

Case Study #4
ED High Alert Program

Case Study #5
Virtual ED/Emergency Physician in Triage

In the first three case studies, our collaborative efforts identified three areas that directly relate to customer service within the Emergency Department. These include Left Without Being Seen (LWBS), Turn Around Time (TAT) and Patient Satisfaction Survey Results (Provided by Press Ganey at the three case study hospitals). Case Studies 4 and 5 demonstrate how ESP developed programs to manage unnecessary Emergency Department visits and overcrowding.

Case Study #2: Emergency Department Customer Service

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT SETTING:

  • Community Hospital
  • 29,000 annual Emergency Department visits
  • 18 ED beds

CHALLENGE:

  • To improve customer service within the Emergency Department

EFFORTS:

  • Physicians:
    • Report Press Ganey scores and medical staff meeting quarterly
    • Report Press Ganey scores in ED Group meeting
    • Customer service articles presented in ED Group meetings
    • Annual evaluations included customer service feedback
    • ESP presented Risk Mgmt in-service in September 2007 which has large customer service component
    • ED docs are rewarded quarterly with gift certificates for most customer service compliments
    • ED physicians are involved in PI teams and community programs
    • ESP has successfully recruited a stable core staff
  • Nurses:
    • Hospital wide process improvement team formed for working on ED Length of Stay (LOS), continues as Department Improvement Team
    • Ongoing Department Improvement Team for customer satisfaction, education, and community awareness
    • Nurses expected to round every hour to keep patients/families informed
    • Studer Group education in 2007 with each staff member evaluated as High/Med/Low performer
    • Nurses use personal business cards which are given to each patient at introduction
    • Use of instructional video in the ED waiting room to explain ED process, expectations, and potential delays
    • New brochure in development for the same information as above
    • Department maintains a supply of $10 HEB gift cards to be presented to patients when unexpected delay in care attributed to breakdown in the hospital process

RESULTS:

97th percentile ED rank and 99th percentile ED physician rank!!!