Changes in Patient Flow Among Five Hospitals Participating in a Learning Collaborative.

J Healthc Qual. 2011 Sep 13;

Authors: McHugh M, Van Dyke KJ, Howell E, Adams F, Moss D, Yonek J

Abstract
This was an evaluation of the efforts of five hospitals that participated in a collaborative aimed at improving patient flow and reducing emergency department (ED) crowding. Interviews with hospital implementation team members were conducted at two separate times, and multivariate linear regression models and bivariate logistic models were constructed to assess changes in ED length of stay (LOS) and left without being seen (LWBS). By the end of the collaborative, four of the five hospitals had at least one fully implemented improvement strategy. Those hospitals experienced modest improvements in patient flow: a hospital that implemented front-end improvements and devoted additional resources to fast track had a 51-min reduction in ED LOS, another that implemented only front-end improvements had a 9-min reduction in LOS, a third hospital that improved communication between the ED and inpatient units to facilitate admissions decreased LWBS from 0.6% to 0.4%, and a fourth hospital reduced LOS by 59 min for mid-acuity patients by establishing a new care process for them. Results suggest that relatively small changes may lead to improvements in measures of patient flow that are modest, at best.

PMID: 22092988 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Do Lean Practices Lead to More Time at the Bedside?

J Healthc Qual. 2011 Oct 12;

Authors: Brackett T, Comer L, Whichello R

Abstract
The aim of this review is to evaluate the application of value-added processes in healthcare, with an emphasis on their effects on bedside nursing. Literature relevant to Lean methodology and inpatient care was reviewed, excluding all research related to other service lines (i.e., surgical services, emergency services, laboratory, radiology, etc.). Increased value is also an important tenet of transforming care at the bedside (TCAB), an initiative launched by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Therefore, articles concerning TCAB were also included in this review. A systematic study of the literature revealed varied applications of Lean principles in practice, ranging from the implementation of a single tool, to full organizational restructuring. All articles reviewed reported positive results, although the majority lacked strong supporting evidence for claims of improvement. Even though there is some indication that the application of Lean principles to nursing processes is successful in improving specific outcomes, the authors cannot conclude that the implementation of Lean methodology or TCAB greatly influences direct patient care, or increases time spent at the bedside.

PMID: 22093157 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]