Medical Staff

Hospitalist-led active bed management speeds up ED to ICU throughput

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, October 20, 2009

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Researchers at John Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore found that strong hospitalist leadership can improve ED throughput and increase patient safety and satisfaction, in a new study, “Hospitalist bed management effecting throughput from the emergency department to the intensive care unit,” published in the October issue of the Journal of Critical Care.

Through this active bed management approach, hospitalists took the decision-making role in triaging admitted patients and transferring them from the ED to the next care setting (e.g., ICU or coronary care unit). The hospitalists rounded on patients twice a day in the ICU and regularly visited the ED.

The results were promising. John Hopkins reduced the throughput time from the ED to the ICU or coronary care unit by an average of 14 minutes (from 353 minutes to 254 minutes).

“This efficiency is likely to positively…impact patient satisfaction and safety,” states the study.



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