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Show SPRING 2013 Amber Hooper Nathaniel Cordova Alexis Gosdis EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT CONSULT RESPONSE TIME EVALUATION Amber Hooper, Nathaniel Cordova, Alexis Gosdis, (Jim Agutter) University Hospital Emergency Department University of Utah Emergency Department consultation response times are not very well tracked and little research has been done in this area of general hospital workings. Tracking consultation times is a complex process and is often hindered by complicated software and varying priorities of consulting departments. The purpose of this study was to use the process of "design thinking" to determine the timeliness of a consulting doctor's response when called to evaluate patients in the emergency department (ED) at the University Hospital. Design thinking, in this project, used a holistic approach to find opportunities for improvement in the ED by examining both the ED doctor's side of the process and the consulting physicians side, separately. Through analyzing computer collected data, examining literature, and making personal observations both inside the ED and out, recommendations for improving the consult response time of consulting doctors, workflow, and patient care in the ED will be made. In this ongoing study it was found that personality and human interactions can play a role in determining consultation response times. Individual perceptions, as well, can create unnecessary frustration. Also, complex technology can hinder the collection of vital data. It was found that systems involving conscious data entry do not work or take huge amounts of external stimulus. In order to improve in these areas of opportunity it is necessary to equalize perceptions, limit frustrations and provide a baseline goal for expected response times. As the hospital is a complex network of individuals all striving for a broad common goal, taking care of patients, building employee relationships, and establishing consult response time awareness is crucial. Finally, another area of opportunity can be found in simplifying or automating data entry. In conclusion, consultation times in the Emergency Department at the University of Utah are not being tracked efficiently. Understanding and improving on this gap in information is vital to improving patient length of stay and overall patient care and experience. This project began in October 2012 and is still in progress. |