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INSIDE Robotic Technology Enhances Patient Care Innovative Treatments Improve Cancer Care New Mothers and Babies Deserve Great Facilities New Process Cuts Waits, Speeds Treatment in Emergency Department Endometrial Ablation Performed at Grady Memorial Advanced Surgical Spine Treatments Restore Patients' Health More Quickly
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Summer 2009
New Process Cuts Waits, Speeds Treatment in Emergency Department Doctors Hospital operates a 24-bed Emergency Department that sees nearly 70,000 patients a year. It has improved the timeliness and efficiency of the care provided in its Emergency Department with a new concept that enables patients to be seen more quickly by a physician.The Physician in Triage program places a residency-trained, board-certified emergency physician in the waiting room's triage area to assess the condition of patients and begin their treatment shortly after they walk in the door. "When patients check in and get triaged, we have the attending emergency department physician do a brief assessment and get the care started," says Bruce Jones, DO, medical director of the Emergency Department. "It just expedites everything. That's the real beauty of this process." Reducing Wait Times Since it began in June 2008, the protocol has reduced the average time it takes to be seen by a doctor by about half, and the rate of restless patients who leave without being seen by a physician or nurse from 5.5 to 1.1 percent. It has also improved customer satisfaction. "At times we have many patients waiting in our lobby, so it can really ease their anxiety when we can start an IV or give medications right away," Dr. Jones says. With the ability to order X-rays, CT scans and laboratory tests right away, a triage physician speeds response and cuts down on the backlog of patients. Since the program began, 10 to 15 percent of patients with minor conditions have been treated and discharged directly from the waiting room. Stays in the department have also been shortened for more seriously ill or injured patients who require beds. "If a patient has to go back to a bed, all of the test results are there when the doctor walks in because they were already under way while the patient was sitting in the lobby," Dr. Jones says. Triage Provides Flexibility Flexibility is another advantage. A triage physician can gauge the level of Emergency Department activity at any one time and funnel patients to treatment areas based on the number of patients waiting, severity of their conditions and available resources. Doctors expects to export its Physician in Triage program to a new and expanded Emergency Department scheduled to open in 2010. "This is a new process for us that took more than a year of planning," Dr. Jones says, "but the results have been very successful. Very few emergency departments are doing this, but there have been several inquiries since we started. It's a dramatic change, but an effective one that helps us take better care of our patients."
Where to Seek Care
Experts agree that not every patient needs emergency care. Here's a handy guide to help you decide when to seek care from your personal physician or an urgent care facility, and when it's an emergency. In case of a true emergency, you should call 911. Emergencies:
Urgent care:
If you have diabetes or another serious or chronic disease or risk factors, your physician can advise you of additional conditions that may require emergency care. |
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