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 #3: Emergency Department Customer Service
ED SETTING:
- 153 bed community based regional health center
- 26,000 annual ED visits
- 15 ED beds with 12hr Express Care
- Located in medium sized town approximately 50 miles from moderate sized city
PROBLEM:
- Abysmal patient satisfaction scores
- Daily complaints about service in the Emergency Department
- Physician staffing difficulties with troubled staff morale
- Other QI indicators moving in a negative direction (increase in left w/o being seen, ED stays over 4 hrs)
APPROACH:
- Hospital Board and CEO demanded significant change in Emergency Department
- New ED physician staff group (Emergency Service Partners)
- ED and hospital leaders developed “patient satisfaction improvement” committee sanctioned and supported by highest levels of administration
- Committee facilitator appointed from quality department
- Representatives from ED medicine, ED nursing, ED registration, inpatient nursing, ancillary departments, information systems. QC, including staff members and managers
- Monthly meetings with homework every meeting
- Mandatory attendance
- Data driven: average length of visit, Press-Ganey, % LWBS
INITIATIVES:
- Facility improvements with new triage station
- Bedside registration
- Marked improvement in physician staff credentials
- Implementation of 12 hour Express Care Unit with dedicated staff
- Customer service education
- Investigation of electronic medical record system – pending
- Construction of improved Emergency Department with improved flow pattern-approved and pending
RESULTS:
1. Reduction of the LWBS (left without being seen) from a high of 3.75% to a low of 0.6%:
2. A dramatic decrease in Length of Stay from a high of 151 minutes to a low of 114 minutes:
3. An increase in the patient satisfaction scores for the Emergency Department from the 25th percentile to the 90th percentile:
