The efficiency of any emergency department is dependent on the patient’s experience. A high-performing emergency room is a massive advantage to a hospital. With more than 50% of patients being admitted through the emergency department, hospitals need to foster worthwhile emergency room experiences. The following are ways hospitals can improve and provide exceptional services to patients in the emergency department:
Create a Clean and Safe Environment
Every healthcare facility requires the highest level of cleanliness. The level of organization and cleanliness your patients find in the hospital influences your brand and reputation. It makes them feel more comfortable while ensuring your clinical staff’s safety and the patient’s family.
The paramount goal of cleanliness in a hospital is to prevent infection. By deploying an effective environmental maintenance program, you ensure your employees and patients feel safe.
Manage Bed Space Using a Scheduling Software
Using scheduling software like iQueue is software that eases capacity management for each unit. It makes it easier for the emergency department to predict and create space for patients. The emergency department experiences high demand, and managing bed capacity is one of the most complex challenges many hospitals face.
The iQueue software is an inpatient bed scheduling software that predicts and calculates the total number of patients likely to be charged and discharged. It also provides impactful recommendations on transfers to create adequate capacity at the right time. Its ability to predict makes it one of the best bed-scheduling software for hospitals.
Encourage Teamwork
Like most situations, teamwork is one of the best ways to create a confident patient experience. Cooperation of staff, both clinical and non-clinical, ensures a safe experience hence patient loyalty. A teamwork mentality is achieved through collaboration, clear communication, and coordination.
Provision of Basic Items to Patients as They Wait
No one wakes up in the morning and schedules a visit to your emergency room. These visits are unexpected, and patients and their family members or friends are likely to forget some essential items. Depending on various factors, such as the patient’s condition, some may have to wait for hours.
During this time, the vending machines in your emergency department may be their only source of food. You can go the extra mile to ensure that your vending options include healthier foods than candy bars.
Work on Your Department’s Pain Points
One of the best ways to improve your emergency department’s performance is to look into reviews and feedback from your patients and associates. There may be gaps such as a slow process or an arrogant and ineffective staff member. Journey mapping a patient through your department helps you identify areas that require your attention.
Another way to collect vital hospital data is to research reviews and comments on various social media platforms. You can also visit hospital ranking and review sites such as Zoc Doc, Yelp, and Health Grades. The information on these sites helps you identify and investigate your services and their weak points.
Add Concierge Services
Every department in the hospital experiences patient and visitor questions. It is to be expected, but the way you handle it is critical. Most nurses and doctors going about their duties appear as easy targets for such questions. When this happens in the emergency department, a lot of time meant for clinical functions is lost.
Concierge services help answer patients and visitors, allowing every staff member to perform their duties. It improves your emergency room experience for patients and the courtesy of waiting areas shown to friends and family.
Display Kindness and Respect
During your interaction with everyone in the emergency department, you should always show kindness and respect. This includes patients, friends, family members, and all staff members. When all staff members behave this way, it creates a friendly atmosphere that makes patients and visitors feel safe and confident. It is also a good idea to complement your patient and everyone involved in their health whenever appropriate.
An emergency department’s success depends on the cooperation of staff members and an efficient management system. The iQueue inpatient bed scheduling software minimizes challenges during organization and capacity management. Its effect is maximized when clinical and non-clinical staff cooperate to create a friendly and comfortable atmosphere for patients and visitors.
Review 7 Ways to Improve Emergency Room Experiences for Patients.