Leading Practices in Patient Flow 2009 for Wait Watcher’s III by Theme and Organization

“Wait Watcher’s III …Order and Speed, Improving access to care through innovations in Patient flow” was based on the synthesis and discussion of the following case studies which were submitted by clinicians, research and policy-management professionals at ACAHO member organizations.

On this page, you will find each of the cases as submitted by the author teams with a brief editor’s summary. You will also find the name of a contact person for the case. Take the time to see what is happening across the country and how these innovations may apply in your own settings”.

Each case study is posted in the language submitted.  However, case studies can be made available in English and/or French upon request.

Ensuring access to primary care

• Alberta AIM (Access. Improvement. Measures) - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Medical Access to Service - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)

Preventing Emergencies Where and When We Can

• Expediting Ambulatory Services Access to Reduce Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Admissions - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Evolution du repérage a l'urgence des personnes âgés en perte d'autonomie avec le questionnaire PRISMA-7 - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrook (QC)
• Impacte d'une formation sur l'évaluation de la douleur au triage (urgence) - Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (QC)
• Emergency Department Nurse Practitioner Outreach - The Ottawa Hospital (ON)

Getting from 911 to the Emergency Department

• From 911 to Balloon :  Reduction of Ischemic time in primary angioplasty by implementation of an expedited transfer pathway - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Ambulance Destination Coordination (ADCC) - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Electronic selection of EMS destination to enhance capacity and flow management - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Improving Access and Service in Academic Emergency Departments - London Health Sciences Centre (ON)

Getting Through the Emergency Department

• Peter Lougheed Hospital Calgary Six Sigma ED CTAS3 - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Emergency department pay for performance pilot - Vancouver General Hospital (BC)
• Reducing Time from Triage to MD Assessment - Alberta Children's Hospital (AB)
• Improving patient flow in the ED - Providence Health Care (BC)
• Implementation of Overcapacity protocol - Providence Health Care (BC)

Emergencies that occur elsewhere in hospital

• Decreasing delays for inpatients who have urgent consultations ordered - Regional Health Authority B (NB)
• Medical Emergency Team Resuscitation Bay (METRB) - Alberta Health Services Board (AB) 

Whole System/Hospital Wide Approach to Improving Access

• Changing a culture though strategic planning and Accreditation Canada - St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (ON)
• Corporate Patient Flow Performance - St. Michael's Hospital (ON)
• Creating an ELOS Culture: Piloting Rapid Rounds in General Internal Medicine - St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (ON)
• Improving patient flow and caregiver communication using an e-nurse report - London Health Sciences Centre (ON)
• The use of daily patient access metrics to improve system performance - London Health Sciences Centre (ON)
• Analysis of Random Demand Compared to the Schedule of Portering resources - Regional Health Authority "B" (NB)
• Synchronizing admission, discharges and transfers - Hamilton Health Sciences Centre (ON)
• Improving patient flow in an acute inpatient medicine program - London Health Sciences Centre (ON)
• Improving patient flow in a paediatric hospital - London Health Sciences Centre (ON)
• Improving the Home Discharge Process from Acute care Neurosciences Unit - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Introduction of an innovative methodology and process for evaluating length of stay opportunity and monitoring improvement - Hamilton Health Sciences Centre (ON)

Discharge Planning

• Facilitating the Transfer from Acute Care Units to a Rehabilitation Unit - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Impact of a Rehabilitation Patient Flow Facilitator in the Acute Care Setting - Toronto Rehabilitation Centre (ON) & University Health Network (ON)
• Kids in Transition- The Rehab Experience - Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Centre (ON) & The Hospital for Sick Children (ON)
• Discharge Planning Model, TOH complex discharge planning - The Ottawa Hospital (ON)
• Piloting a Care and Discharge Coordinator Role to Improve Patient Flow - Hamilton Health Sciences Centre (ON)
• Introduction of a Dedicated Admissions Nurse to Improve Access to Care for Surgical Patients - Hamilton Health Sciences Centre (ON)

Condition Specific Patient Flow Cases

• Canadian Paediatric Surgical Wait Times (CSPWT) Project - The Hospital for Sick Children (ON) with 16 other organizations from around Canada
• Mental Health Patient Flow Improvement Project - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Facilitating the Timeliness and Appropriateness of Referral from the Short Stay Unit to Outpatient Mental Health Services - Alberta Health Services Board (ON)
• A Systematic Approach to Improving Flow in Mental Health - St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (ON)
• Colorectal Screening Referral Process - Hotel Dieu Hospital (ON)
• Implementation of a Regional Cancer Surgery Assessment Model for he Champlain Local Health Integration Network - The Ottawa Hospital (ON)
• Lean Discharge and Collaborative Nursing Practice - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Bariatric Surgical Assessment Clinic - Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region (SK)
• Improving hip fracture patient flow - one component of an orthopedic trauma improvement - Alberta Health Services Board (AB)
• Musculoskeletal screening clinic (MSK clinic) - Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region (SK)
• Hip and Knee Pathway - Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region (SK)

March 26, 2009