Skip Navigation Archive: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Archive: Agency for Healthcare Research Quality www.ahrq.gov
AHRQ Home—Live Site | Archive Home | Site Map
Archival print banner

This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.

Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.

Improving Patient Flow in the Emergency Department

Partnerships in Implementing Patient Safety (PIPS)

Twila Burdick, MBA, Banner Health/Arizona State University, Phoenix AHRQ Grant No. HS015921-01

Overview

By implementing a patient flow process called "Door to Doc," this project improves the safety of care for patients in the emergency department (ED) by reducing the time patients wait to be seen and by expediting admission to the most appropriate hospital unit. A toolkit contains the necessary resources for implementing operational changes, including:

  • Strategies for "Door to Doc" re-design principles.
  • Multidisciplinary training aids and methods.
  • An actionable communication plan.

Target Audience

Emergency department staff, physicians, nurses, quality and safety professionals.

Health Care Setting

Emergency departments.

Toolkit Web Site

http://www.bannerhealthinnovations.org/DoortoDoc/Download+D2D+Toolkit.htm

Press Releases

AHRQ Awards More Than $8 Million To Further Implementation of Evidence-Based Patient Safety Findings
June 8, 2005

Podcasts

New Toolkit Helps Hospitals Provide Safer, Efficient ER Care
http://healthcare411.ahrq.gov/featureAudio.aspx?id=898

Impact Case Studies

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital — Posted January 2010
https://www.ahrq.gov/about/casestudies/ptsafety/ps2010c.htm

Fairview Southdale Hospital — Posted January 2010
https://www.ahrq.gov/about/casestudies/ptsafety/ps2010b.htm

Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital — Posted November 2009
https://www.ahrq.gov/about/casestudies/ptsafety/ps2010.htm

Return to Contents

Page last reviewed October 2004
Internet Citation: Improving Patient Flow in the Emergency Department: Partnerships in Implementing Patient Safety (PIPS). October 2004. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://archive.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/patient-safety-resources/resources/pips/burdick.html

 

The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only.

 
AHRQ Advancing Excellence in Health Care