• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Alabama ED reduces LOS, increases patient satisfaction

Case Management Weekly, January 3, 2006

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Case Management Weekly!

Staffing and configuration changes at Athens-Limestone Hospital's (AL) ED have cut the average length of stay to 2.04 hours. The local stay compares to a national level of 2.29 hours.

The hospital set up a prime care area equipped with a staff and physician to handle low priority complaints such as viral, minor injuries, and follow up visits. Since opening, about one-third of Athens-Limestone's patients have been directed to the new prime care area, positively affecting the average LOS.

In place of the old registration area staffed by non-clinical staff are registered nurses who are constantly assessing the waiting patients. Patients are moved from waiting to a triage area where they are prioritized and sent to another waiting room.

While still early in its improvement phase, Athens-Limestone's ED recently received a total satisfaction average score of 94.6% from its patients.

Source: The News-Courier

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Case Management Weekly!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive