Msn Capstone Project Executive Summary

A visit to the emergency department (ED) is usually associated with negative thoughts by most people. It creates preconceived images of overcrowded waiting rooms and routine long waits for treatment (Jarousse, 2011). From 1996 to 2006, ED visits increased annually from 90.3 million to 119.2 million (32% increase). During this same time period, the number of EDs has declined by 186 facilities creating the age old lower supply and greater demand concept (Crane & Noon, 2011). There are many contributing factors that have led to an increase in ED visits. A few of these key drivers include lack of primary care access, rising of the uninsured population, dwindling mental health services, and the growing elderly

The use of mobile technology in the healthcare industry has exploded in the last ten years. Mobile health or mHealth, provides an entire new aspect of the relationship between patients and their doctors and other medical providers. Mobile devices place important and critical information into a medical professional’s hands in real-time. Doctors can monitor a patient’s condition more frequently, allowing them to make better and more informed decisions and diagnoses.

Mhealth has reached the poorest of communities (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). More than 9 million patients email their physician in 2009 (Digital Health Care, 2010), because patients’ busy lifestyles do not allow time for an office visit for non-emergent health conditions. . In recent years, the expansion of mobile health (mhealth) technologies, including health text messaging, mobile phone applications, remote monitoring, and portable sensors, have changed the way health care is being delivered in the U.S. and globally (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). Patients like the convenience of communicating with his or her physician through advanced technology.

As consumers utilize smartphones, tablets, and other devices for other functions like social media and email, they are starting to look at these features to assist them with their healthcare. Mobile body area network devices will be a growing trend in the coming years as a way to get patients engaged in their healthcare and also to give providers routine updates on the status of patients with chronic conditions. As DeGaspari (2014) indicates, these devices can lead to improved functionality for other devices used in hospitals, such as sensors for monitoring patients that might get up and wander or be a fall risk. Telemedicine will continue to grow as payers, providers, and patients all start to realize the mutual benefits that can be

……A recent survey by Kluwer Kluwer Health’s Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 71% of nurses are using smartphones for their job. It’s becoming the norm in the nursing workplace nowadays and the range of phone apps are moving beyond leisure. It’s not an exaggeration to say that smartphones are moving the nursing practice into a much greater height. From drug references, medication interaction disease, laboratory and safety information, nurses have access to all kinds of data to help them improve patient care.

When overcrowding occurs, patients are placed in the hallway waiting for room to be transferred to. Any time overcrowding occurs most ambulances divert away from the closest hospital to the patients and in this situation hospitals lose a lot of revenue. Data published in the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2004 report national hospital ambulatory medical care survey on ED summary depicted that ED in United State are approaching a boiling point in terms of increasing patient demand and shrinking bed capacity, Levin et al (Fall,2006). According to the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, a recent survey conducted by the American College of Emergency physician of about 200 hospital administrators, majority pointed at overcrowding as their major constraint and about 60% said overcrowding in their facility forces the diversion of patients with urgent need

Emergency Department crowding is a cause for great concern. It is costly and responsible for compromising quality of care and community trust (McHugh, VanDyke, McClelland, & Moss, 2011). According to McHugh et al. (2011), improving patient flow can mitigate ED crowding. This paper will describe a plan to implement an ED fast-track area (FTA) as one solution to improve patient flow and reduce ED crowding. The author will describe the approval process, review the problem, discuss the proposal, explain the rationale behind the proposal, examine the evidence, describe the implementation logistics, and determine the necessary resources required for implementation.

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding has become an international health crisis and been identified as a major threaten to public health. As defined by Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, overcrowding is a situation in which ED patients’ demand for services exceeds the staffing capacity to provide care within a reasonable length of time, thereby impeding ED function. Some has called ED as the safety net of the health care system, given its unique role in public health. However, the increasing problem of crowding and the associated impacts has strained this safety net to the “breaking point”. ED overcrowding and prolonged waiting time are associate with adverse consequences towards quality of care and patient safety, as well as

The health care industry has become increasingly reliant on technology. From medical translation tools to mobile apps, these devices are helping healthcare institutions save money and improve patient treatment.

Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, emergency department (ED) volume has expanded, exceeding 15% over budget in our hospital in approximately one-year. This phenomenon is not isolated to our organization, it is a nationwide issue (American College of Emergency Physicians, 2014). In addition, ED lobby wait time has increased and the left without being seen (LWBS) numbers have climbed to over 6%. Furthermore, the ED has been to a greater extend, boarding admitted patients.

Emergency departments are facing a shortage of trained nurses that are capable of functioning in the fast-paced environment such as an emergency department. The problem is the emergency room is not retaining nurses and faces a continuous influx of untrained, new nurses to fill the void. This unstable staffing situation leads to hazardous care environments for both patient and nurse. This is a perpetual the cycle that worsens with time and becomes a viscous cycle of departure. The nurses who stay become fatigued, overwhelmed and burned out, which causes more nurses to leave. The nurses who remain face short staffing, the burden of training new hires without help and no team to rely on for support.

When will I see a Doctor? When will I get a bed? These are the questions that are constantly asked when in the Emergency Department (ED). The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) & National emergency Nurses Affiliation (NENA)(2003) defines overcrowding as a situation where “services exceeds the ability to provide care within a reasonable time, causing doctors and nurses to be unable to provide quality care” (“ED overcrowding”, para. 2). Maintaining access and flow in the ED is essential to the improvement of overcrowding. I am in agreement with the people of Ontario, who state that it is frustrating to wait for hours just to see a doctor or to be transferred to an in-patient unit. Firstly, overcrowding

Technology has always played a crucial role in healthcare innovation. Over the past several decades healthcare has experienced an explosion of innovations designed to improve life expectancy and quality of life. Mobile technology is only one of several that empower patients and careers by giving them more control over their health and making them less dependent on Health care professionals for health information (Haughom, n.d.). They can use digital technology to research information online, share experiences and identify treatment options. The most

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect overcrowded Emergency Departments (ED) have on the Registered Nurse and how it impacts patient care. According to The Emergency Physicians and National Emergency Nurses Affiliation (EPNENA) (2001), ED overcrowding is a state wherein the demand for service surpasses the capacity of physicians and nurses to provide healthcare within a satisfactory time frame. Overcrowding is considered severe when there are a larger percentage of patients being treated in hallways than there are available treatment beds EPNENA (2001).

Emergency department across the world are facing challenges with growing patient numbers and inability to stretch capacity to meet demand. ED crowding has become a global phenomenon, and has been identified as national crisis in some countries (1) with nearly half of all EDs report operating near or above maximum capacity (2). Emergency department (EDs) in urban settings are experiencing extreme challenges in terms of overcrowding, long wait times, and decreased patient satisfaction (3). Several studies have identified that ED crowding contributes to reduced quality of patient care (4–6), delays in initiation of treatment (7,8) and less adherence to recognized guidelines (9). At some instances it is even linked to mortality. (10).