Measuring patient flow in a children's hospital using a scorecard with composite measurement. Issue 7 (18th April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fieldston, Evan S.; Zaoutis, Lisa B.; Agosto, Paula M.; Guo, Annie; Jonas, Jennifer A.; Tsarouhas, Nicholas
• Is Part Of: Journal of hospital medicine. Volume 9:Issue 7(2014)
• Page Start: 463
• Page End: 468
• Publication Date: 2014-04-18
• Subjects: Hospital care -- Periodicals; Clinical medicine -- Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1002/jhm.2202
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1553-5592

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="jhm2202-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>BACKGROUND</title> <p>Although patient flow is a focus for improvement in hospitals, commonly used single or unaggregated measures fail to capture its complexity. Composite measures can account for multiple dimensions of performance but have not been reported for the assessment of patient flow.</p> </sec> <sec id="jhm2202-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>OBJECTIVES</title> <p>To present and discuss the implementation of a composite measure system as a way to measure and monitor patient flow and improvement activities at an urban children's hospital.</p> </sec> <sec id="jhm2202-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>METHODS</title> <p>A 5‐domain patient flow scorecard with composite measurement was designed by an interdisciplinary workgroup using measures involved in multiple aspects of patient flow.</p> </sec> <sec id="jhm2202-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>RESULTS</title> <p>The composite score measurement system provided improvement teams and administrators with a comprehensive overview of patient flow. It captured overall performance trends and identified operational domains and specific components of patient flow that required improvement.</p> </sec> <sec id="jhm2202-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>DISCUSSION</title> <p>A patient flow scorecard with composite measurement holds advantages over a single or unaggregated measurement system, because it provides a holistic assessment of performance while also identifying specific areas in need of improvement. <italic>Journal of Hospital Medicine</italic> 2014;9:463–468. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine</p> </sec> </abstract>