Long queues and huge waiting time period in
hospitals have become so common that the doctors and patients assume that
waiting is an inescapable but an unfortunate part of the process. For a long
time, the hospitals have been trying to solve this problem through addition of
resources and thought it to be the solution for the problem but addition of
large resources only creates an inefficiency in the system. Many hospitals
don’t realize that the solution for this problem lies in the patient flow and a
timely and smooth flow of patients through hospital wards can help the
hospitals in saving time and resources.
How
to guarantee a smooth and timely flow of patients?
In a healthcare organization, patient flow
is referred to a process through which patients are movedacross different
locations in the hospitals and how they are served at multiple stages of care.
Effective patient flow in hospitals will result in a lesser waiting time period
at the registration counter, doctor’s consultation, diagnostic tests, surgical
procedure, ward admission and discharge. Efficiency in patient flow also has a large
impact in the operational efficiency of the hospital.
Few measures
which can be adopted by the Hospitals in ensuring the right patient flow are as
follows:
- Observe the movement pattern and the distance traveled by the Hospital staffs and the patients, investigate the time taken to move staffs, resources and supplies within the hospital.
- A separate corridor for patients and staffs to avoid overcrowding, delay and confusion in the hospital’s corridors.
- Analyze the interdepartmental activities and movements on each floor.
- Services and resources can be centralized to reduce the total distance travelled and minimize the number of trips.
A major important factor for improving
patient flow lies in the physical accessibility, it is necessary for the
hospital to consider the changes in movements and direction in important places
like, from the entrance to the registration, etc. It is greatly important that
the reception is placed closely to the main entrance so that the visitors will
directly go to the reception upon their arrival at hospital. A special facility
should also be made at the reception area to identify cases of urgent nature which
requires speedy treatment. Another important
factor for improving patient flow lies in the visibility of boards and signage across the hospital. The visitors
in the hospital must be able to view all the boards and signage for them to
understand as to where they should go to. Therefore, the two above factors has
a large impact on the journey of the patient’s as well as the hospital staffs. Hence,
the hospital can increase its operational efficiency through a proper patient
flow which involves a right design that incorporates the individuals, the
process and the environment.
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