Friday 11 January, 2019
Faster treatment and shorter stays the goal for Emergency Department project
Tailoring patients to the most appropriate health professionals in the timeliest way is the thought-process behind a
successful Whakatāne Hospital Emergency Department (ED) project.
A small group of health professionals known as the ALPHA team has been working closely with ED doctors and nurses over
the last six months identifying incoming patients whose treatment aligns with their professions. These include:
physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, pharmacists and nurse specialists. For many patients the team’s
work has meant faster treatment and shorter hospital stays.
“It’s a shift from the traditional way of doing things where those patients were only seen by those types of health
professionals once they’d either been admitted to a ward or from an ED referral,” said Whakatāne Hospital ED Clinical
Lead Dr Tamsin Davies.
“For patients picked up by the ALPHA team what we’re finding is that they are getting the healthcare they need much
sooner. Particularly our older patients (75+), faster treatment means a better recovery and less time spent in
hospital.”
Dr Davies says some patients were also avoiding a hospital stay altogether by being connected with the right health
support they need in the community.
The ALPHA team attends three whiteboard rounds in ED a day, meeting with the ED nursing and medical team, identifying
patients who would benefit from their health skills.
“They pick up a broad range of things such as fitting appropriate splints, reviewing medications and coordinating care
in the community for patients with complex health needs,” said Dr Davies.
The team is part of a broader programme to improve the care treatment pathway, making better use of hospital resources
and saving patients’ time in the process.
“We’re constantly looking at ways to improve the timeliness and quality of care provided at the hospital,” said Service
Improvement Programme Manager Fiona Burns. “We don’t want patients waiting unnecessarily when there’s no good medical
reason to do so.
“We have been monitoring progress closely and since the programme began approximately 7 out of 10 patients are going
home a day earlier.”
Globally research shows just a few days in bed can reduce muscle strength and increase the risk of complications,
particularly for our frail older patients. Getting older patients up and moving has been shown to reduce falls, and
reduce their length of hospital stay by up to 1.5 days.