Introduction: Studies have shown Emergency Department (ED) crowding contributes to reduced quality of patient care, delays in starting treatments, and increased number of patients leaving without being seen. This anal...Introduction: Studies have shown Emergency Department (ED) crowding contributes to reduced quality of patient care, delays in starting treatments, and increased number of patients leaving without being seen. This analysis shows how to theoretically and optimally align staffing to demand. Methods: The ED value stream was identified and mapped. Patients were stratified into three resource-driven care flow cells based on the severity indices. Time observations were conducted for each of the key care team members and the manual cycle times and service rate were calculated and stratified by severity indices. Using X32 Healthcare’s Online Staffing Optimization (OSO) tool, staffing inefficiencies were identified and an optimal schedule was created for each provider group. Results: Lower Severity Indices (higher acuity patient) led to longer times for providers, nurses, patient care assistants, and clerks. The patient length of stay varied from under one hour to over five hours. The flow of patients varied considerably over the 24 hours’ period but was similar by day of the week. Using flow data, we showed that we needed more nurses, more care team members during peak times of patient flow. Eight hour shifts would allow better flexibility. We showed that the additional salary hours added to the budget would be made up for by increased revenue recognized by decreasing the number of patients who leave without being seen. Conclusion: If implemented, these changes will improve ED flow by using lean tools and principles, ultimately leading to timeliness of care, reduced waits, and improved patient experience.展开更多
Accessory breast tissue development frequently occurs in addition to physiologic breast development and is a common congenital condition with an occurrence of 0.4% to 6% in women and 1% - 3% in men. A 31-year-old G1P0...Accessory breast tissue development frequently occurs in addition to physiologic breast development and is a common congenital condition with an occurrence of 0.4% to 6% in women and 1% - 3% in men. A 31-year-old G1P0 female presented to our triage at 20 + 4 weeks gestation with a one-week history of painful bilateral axillary lumps. Her last menstrual period was consistent with an estimated gestational age of 39 + 3 weeks by LMP. She had emigrated from Bengal three years earlier with no other gynecological complaints and knew of no abnormalities on physical exam. The painful axillary lumps were found to be accessory breast tissue. This entity is presented as a palpable thickening that is most prevalent along the milk line in the region immediately below the breasts, along the abdomen, in the axilla and in the groin region adjacent to the vulva. Affected individuals may undergo premenstrual changes such as tenderness, swelling, and difficulty with shoulder range of motion and irritation. The onset of pregnancy stimulates the tissue and makes it more evident as it did with our patient.展开更多
Background: Uterine Didelphys is a rare congenital condition and it can affect both mother and fetus. A 24 year-old patient presented to the emergency room with pelvic pain and a pelvic ultrasound confirmed the presen...Background: Uterine Didelphys is a rare congenital condition and it can affect both mother and fetus. A 24 year-old patient presented to the emergency room with pelvic pain and a pelvic ultrasound confirmed the presence of Uterine Didelphys. She subsequently became pregnant and was first seen at 21 weeks gestation. She was designated as a high-risk patient during the second trimester when she experienced irregular contractions. She was monitored weekly with Non-Stress Tests and eventually was delivered by Cesarean Section. Uterine Didelphys can be detected in-utero in affected individuals, and clinical findings vary among individuals. Some may be asymptomatic, whereas others will experience dyspareunia, and still others may present with concurrent renal agenesis. Serial sonograms are performed throughout their pregnancy to evaluate fetal growth and well-being, as well as cervical length. Unlike many uterine anomalies, Uterine Didelphys does not affect fertility but can affect labor, fetal growth, placentation, fetal viability and fetal outcome. Uterine Didelphys frequently results in recurrent miscarriages and may cause preterm labor and necessitate cesarean section. The presentation, associated symptoms, methods of detection and management options for Uterine Didelphys will be discussed.展开更多
文摘Introduction: Studies have shown Emergency Department (ED) crowding contributes to reduced quality of patient care, delays in starting treatments, and increased number of patients leaving without being seen. This analysis shows how to theoretically and optimally align staffing to demand. Methods: The ED value stream was identified and mapped. Patients were stratified into three resource-driven care flow cells based on the severity indices. Time observations were conducted for each of the key care team members and the manual cycle times and service rate were calculated and stratified by severity indices. Using X32 Healthcare’s Online Staffing Optimization (OSO) tool, staffing inefficiencies were identified and an optimal schedule was created for each provider group. Results: Lower Severity Indices (higher acuity patient) led to longer times for providers, nurses, patient care assistants, and clerks. The patient length of stay varied from under one hour to over five hours. The flow of patients varied considerably over the 24 hours’ period but was similar by day of the week. Using flow data, we showed that we needed more nurses, more care team members during peak times of patient flow. Eight hour shifts would allow better flexibility. We showed that the additional salary hours added to the budget would be made up for by increased revenue recognized by decreasing the number of patients who leave without being seen. Conclusion: If implemented, these changes will improve ED flow by using lean tools and principles, ultimately leading to timeliness of care, reduced waits, and improved patient experience.
文摘Accessory breast tissue development frequently occurs in addition to physiologic breast development and is a common congenital condition with an occurrence of 0.4% to 6% in women and 1% - 3% in men. A 31-year-old G1P0 female presented to our triage at 20 + 4 weeks gestation with a one-week history of painful bilateral axillary lumps. Her last menstrual period was consistent with an estimated gestational age of 39 + 3 weeks by LMP. She had emigrated from Bengal three years earlier with no other gynecological complaints and knew of no abnormalities on physical exam. The painful axillary lumps were found to be accessory breast tissue. This entity is presented as a palpable thickening that is most prevalent along the milk line in the region immediately below the breasts, along the abdomen, in the axilla and in the groin region adjacent to the vulva. Affected individuals may undergo premenstrual changes such as tenderness, swelling, and difficulty with shoulder range of motion and irritation. The onset of pregnancy stimulates the tissue and makes it more evident as it did with our patient.
文摘Background: Uterine Didelphys is a rare congenital condition and it can affect both mother and fetus. A 24 year-old patient presented to the emergency room with pelvic pain and a pelvic ultrasound confirmed the presence of Uterine Didelphys. She subsequently became pregnant and was first seen at 21 weeks gestation. She was designated as a high-risk patient during the second trimester when she experienced irregular contractions. She was monitored weekly with Non-Stress Tests and eventually was delivered by Cesarean Section. Uterine Didelphys can be detected in-utero in affected individuals, and clinical findings vary among individuals. Some may be asymptomatic, whereas others will experience dyspareunia, and still others may present with concurrent renal agenesis. Serial sonograms are performed throughout their pregnancy to evaluate fetal growth and well-being, as well as cervical length. Unlike many uterine anomalies, Uterine Didelphys does not affect fertility but can affect labor, fetal growth, placentation, fetal viability and fetal outcome. Uterine Didelphys frequently results in recurrent miscarriages and may cause preterm labor and necessitate cesarean section. The presentation, associated symptoms, methods of detection and management options for Uterine Didelphys will be discussed.
