Several news articles from across Queensland are highlighting problems with emergency department (ED) performance. According to our emergency access specialists in the Healthcare Improvement Unit, ED performance is as complicated as the conditions patients have when presenting there.
“A lot is said about ‘patient flow’, but the best patient outcomes are achieved through a whole-of-hospital approach,” Dr Chris May, Clinical Lead for the Clinical Excellence Division, said. “Demand on our EDs won’t plateau and it won’t decline, and this growth is compounded by a huge shift in the complexity of patients. They are sicker and more complicated to treat, which requires more time and resources, which of course costs more money. We need to adapt, and that requires the effort and input from the whole organisation, not just EDs.”
Here are our top three ways to improve patient flow:
- Looking at the continuum of care – there are a number of services and models that will help ensure patients are treated at the right time, in the right place, and by the right health professional. Hospital in the Home and the Residential Aged Care Facilities support project provide care to patients in their own home rather than requiring a stay in hospital to receive treatment.
- Utilising technology – dubbed the ‘third person in the room’ with a patient and health professional, technology can help reduce delays in the patient journey by providing real-time analytics. Projects like Watching our Waits can help health services tackle unnecessary delays to patient care by better understanding their causes and effects.
- Working in partnership - joint planning and promotion of the use of clinical pathways by service providers in the hospital and in the community, and emphasising evidence-based practice to promote high quality patient-focused health care.
In addition to the work of the Healthcare Improvement Unit, the Clinical Excellence Division coordinates the Queensland Emergency Department Strategic Advisory Panel; which provides advice and consultative decision making regarding matters that influence or impact the delivery of emergency care services in Queensland.
