Organizations across the globe continue to struggle with patient flow: beds are full, patients wait too long in the emergency department, patients ready for discharge experience delays, and demand continues to grow. These problems are not new, and most hospitals have spent years working to improve efficiency. Unfortunately, we hear all too often that leaders struggle to sustain improvements, and as a result, performance slips.

To overcome common patient flow challenges and sustain results, we recommend a proactive patient flow strategy. Start by reading our executive research briefing, Seven Lessons to Proactively Manage Patient Flow. Then, use the resources below to help tailor and optimise your patient flow improvement opportunities.

Enhance your Emergency Department operations

• Review Emergency Department best practices:
  
• • The Emergency Care Strategy Guide: Resource guide to improve internal efficiency, support community providers to prevent unnecessary admissions, and case studies showcasing a coordinated approach to emergency care
• Access Emergency Department Improvement tools

Revamp your discharge process

• Target your discharge efficiency improvements
  
• Review and operationalise discharge best practices:
  • Discharge Strategy Handbook: Compilation of strategies to ensure discharge date prediction, forecast post-acute needs and destination, coordinate end-of-stay process, and leverage post-acute capacity to avoid delays
  • On-Time Discharge Toolkit: Toolkit designed to support clinical leaders in embedding discharge best practices that help address common discharge delays in the acute setting

Smooth care transitions

• Seamless Care Transitions: Tactics in four key areas to improve acute care transitions for the most vulnerable patient groups: targeting patients, processes and resources; preparing for post-discharge; enhancing post-acute care; and supporting patients in the community