Quality Efficiency Utilization
Four Rules for Bed Assignment In An Efficient Hospital
September 28th, 2015by: Dr. Robbin Dick
Editor’s Note: the following is an excerpt from Dr. Robbin Dick’s forthcoming book on Hospital Capacity Management. Dr. Dick is MEP’s Director of Observation Services. He will be speaking on hospital capacity management and other subjects at MEP’s third annual observation medicine conference, Observation Care ’15. Bed assignment often sets the pulse for the entire hospital, affecting every patient and every […]
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Two Types of Thinking Physicians Use in the Emergency Department
September 1st, 2015by: Dr. David Klein
There is a natural tension to decision-making in the emergency department. In a busy ED with multiple patients to assess and keep track of, it can be difficult to dissect every patient’s complaints and make clinical decisions both quickly and effectively. Emergencies, by definition, must be dealt with fast. For this, whether they are fully […]
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What Does “Patient Satisfaction” Really Mean in the Emergency Room?
May 27th, 2015by: Dr. Angelo Falcone
In the last several shifts I’ve worked in the ED I’ve had more people stop and compliment me on my care. I’ve heard the usual, “Do you have a private practice?” compliment and, “I’ve been here a lot and you really took the time to hear what I was saying, I appreciate that.”
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Four Lessons for Hospitals from a Trip to Disney World
March 19th, 2015by: Dr. David Klein
Recently, I returned from a trip to Disney with my family. It was my third time at the parks, but this trip was different. My wife and I were thrilled to have brought our three children, son in law, and, most importantly, our two grandchildren. Seeing my three and a half year old grandson, Erez, […]
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What Does Patient Choice Have to Do With Integrated Care?
February 18th, 2015by: Dr. Angelo Falcone
Recently I was taking care of a gentleman in one of our Emergency Departments named Paul. Paul is 55 with a history of alcohol abuse. He also had some psychiatric problems, and was diagnosed with rectal cancer approximately one year ago. He was placed in one of our psychiatric rooms as he was visibly intoxicated and […]
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What US Hospitals and Healthcare Providers Should Take Away from the Ebola Outbreak
October 20th, 2014by: Dr. David Klein
Among reams of coverage on the ebola outbreak, Politico just published a characteristic story with the headline, “In the world of ebola, no room for error.” The only problem is that is as soon as you introduce a human element to any system, there will be error. That’s the reality that healthcare leaders across the […]
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How Do We Measure Real Value in the Emergency Department?
July 18th, 2014by: Dr. Robbin Dick
Emergency Department Directors measure value in their departments with a number of metrics that are tracked religiously: door-to-provider times, ambulance drop-off times, left without being seen rates, length of stay for discharged patients, diversion hours, and 72-hour returns all come to mind. These metrics clearly measure the performance of the Emergency Department, what to they […]
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Hospital Capacity Management II: The Surge
November 21st, 2013by: Dr. Robbin Dick
Surge is used when a hospital has reached the point of over-capacity, requiring the hospital to implement a unique processes to allow for decompression. If surging becomes a frequent occurrence in any hospital organization, a sort of “surge fatigue” will occur, when activation means little if anything to associated staff.
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More Medicine, Less Art – Reducing Variation in Healthcare Costs
August 13th, 2013by: Dr. Vipul Kella
After eating at my favorite restaurant last week, I started to think why I enjoyed it so much. I have been eating at the same place regularly for years, but never stopped to think about what makes it special. After thinking about it for a bit, I came up with one word: consistency. I know […]
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Hospital Capacity Management: Handling Complex Care Patients
July 31st, 2013by: Dr. Robbin Dick
Among the range of groups whose care sucks up a disproportionate amount of healthcare resources, “Complex Care Patients” present a special challenge for hospital leaders seeking to improve their hospital’s capacity management. These patients require special processes and a deliberate strategy to ensure that their hospital stay isn’t prolonged further than necessary. Failure to address […]
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