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Color-coding, triage stations help curb ED wait times
Tags: ED Overcrowding - 8/5/2010

 

Hospitals in California are developing new strategies to address rising ED visits and subsequent increases in wait times, including facility expansion, process modifications and staffing changes, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Nationwide, the number of ED patients has been growing by 5% to 10% annually, and a recent study by Press Ganey found that the average ED visit in 2009 lasted four hours and seven minutes. California residents' average ED visit lasted a bit longer—four hours and 34 minutes, according to Press Ganey.

To accommodate rising ED volume, many hospitals in San Diego County are expanding their EDs, adjusting staffing levels and adding daytime fast-track clinics to handle minor health issues. For example, Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center and Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest both plan to double their EDs in the coming years, according to the Union-Tribune.

In addition to augmenting square footage, Scripps has altered its admission process to include a "quick-stop lobby" where nurses assess patients needs and guide them to specific areas—"blue side" or "gold side"—depending on the urgency of their condition. Scripps also has installed "space-saving recliners" to replace 29 gurneys, which has enabled the facility to accommodate 40 additional patients. Targeting ED efficiency through process changes has reduced the average wait time at Scripps' ED from 87 minutes to 25. In addition, Scripps has reduced the amount of patients who leave without being seen from eight per day to fewer than two.

In a similar approach, Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside has opened a six-bed, fast-track unit and installed two triage stations. The center also started referring patients with a primary care physician to receive follow-up care at two community clinics in an attempt to avoid unnecessary ED visits (Lavelle, Union-Tribune, 8/1).