Leadership for Smooth Patient Flow: Improved Outcomes, Improved Service, Improved Bottom Line

The payoff for improving patient flow goes far beyond shorter wait times. When patients flow smoothly through the care process, nurses and physicians have the time they need to provide safe and compassionate care. Treatment is provided in the optimal setting, which reduces risk and improves outcomes. Patients feel satisfied and recommend your services to others, and your bottom line improves as more patients are treated.

This book provides the inspiration, information, and ideas you need to lead patient flow improvement efforts at your organization. You will learn from the successes and failures of the authors—healthcare leaders who have played pivotal roles in patient flow improvement projects. The book begins by explaining the fundamentals of patient flow and providing a solid business case for pursuing improvement efforts. It uses real-life examples to explain common patient flow theories and improvement methods.

The heart of the book focuses on the practical information and leadership techniques you can use to foster change and remove the barriers to smooth patient flow.

You will learn how to:

Break down departmental silos and build a multidisciplinary patient flow team Use metrics and benchmarking data to evaluate your organization and set goals Create and implement a reward system to initiate and sustain good patient flow behaviors Improve patient flow through the emergency department—the main point of entry into your organization

The book also explores what healthcare institutions can learn from other service organizations including Disney, Ritz-Carlton, and Starbucks. It discusses how to adapt their successful demand management and customer service techniques to the healthcare environment.

Kirk B. Jensen, MD, MBA, FACEP, has spent over 20 years in emergency medicine management and clinical care. Dr. Jensen has been medical director for several emergency departments and is vice president of clinical operations for BestPractices, Inc. Dr. Jensen is a faculty member of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement ( IHI) focusing on patient flow, quality improvement, and patient satisfaction both within the ED and within the hospital. In addition, Dr. Jensen served on the expert panel and site examination team for Urgent Matters, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative focusing on helping hospitals eliminate ED crowding and congestion as well as preserving the healthcare safety net.