Improved ED performance at McLeod Health Clarendon Hospital

McLeod Health Clarendon Hospital (MHCH) asked Philips to help implement performance improvement initiatives to improve processes and throughput. A comprehensive performance improvement engagement helped MHCH prioritize and implement new processes, conduct staff education programs, and develop initiatives to increase staff accountability. An ED performance dashboard provided an on-demand view of daily operational performance to support data-based decisions and track the impact of implemented changes.

As a result of the implemented changes based on Philips recommendations, McLeod Health Clarendon Hospital was able to significantly improve their performance metrics:

ED Performance Improvement

Philips consultants completed a comprehensive ED performance improvement (PI) assessment including data analytics, onsite observations, staff and leadership interviews, and identification of opportunities for process change.
 

Prioritized recommendations to address inconsistent practices and processes as well as gaps in staff education and leadership development were agreed. An ED performance dashboard was created which helped the consultants drill-down to the root-causes of walkouts and other performance issues by hour, day, and month.

The consultants helped MHCH implement changes of the following to improve ED performance:

• Revised triage processes
• Implemented split-flow processes
• Established new patient experience standards
• Enhanced charge nurse role
• Revised performance expectations
• Initiated novice nurse training

The impact of these changes was measured via the dashboard and additional modifications were made to the intake process and staff scheduling.

TransformAnalytics Performance Dashboard

As the PI project progressed, Philips solution analytics consultants began developing an online ED performance dashboard. The goal was to provide an at-a-glance view of daily operational performance, support data-based and sustainable changes, identify areas of concern for further process change, and measure results.
 

The TransformAnalytics ED Dashboard integrated data from the ED information and billing systems. Volume and arrival pattern charts detailed patient trends by acuity, disposition, and arrival method by hour, day, and month. And physician performance metrics provided the opportunity to address variations in patient care and process efficiency.
 

The dashboard sent daily notifications to ED leadership stakeholders so they could see KPI progress and identify performance gaps. The dashboard became a ‘source of truth’ for the ED – supporting the PI initiatives and replacing manual reporting.