Find a practice to try with your team
Collaboration Across Teams Reduces Interruptions
Laboratory and emergency departments teamed up to decrease work interruptions caused by non-urgent test result notifications.
Details
Why This Matters
- Workplace interruptions can add stress, increase patient errors and cause patients to feel like they’re not receiving good care.
Test of Change
- Lab staff tested the secure chat messaging in Kaiser Permanente’s electronic health record system to notify Emergency Department nurses about non-urgent lab results instead of using their hands-free, voice-controlled wearable communication devices.
Savings Arrive on Wheels
Emergency Department clerks saved more than $88,000 in paper and copying costs by switching to laptop computers on wheels to gather member signatures instead of paper registration forms.
Details
Why This Matters
- Leaving old tools behind and embracing new technology leads to savings and efficiency.
Test of Change
- By using laptops on wheels, the team saved $88,000 in paper records, copying, ink, paper and scanning.
Raise Awareness to Reduce Costs
This Behavioral Health team improved care and saved $1 million by educating patients about Emergency Department use.
Details
Why This Matters
- By educating members about their care options, we reduce our reliance on expensive outside providers and improve service and access, ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right time.
Test of Change
- Team members analyzed claims data for the 20 patients who had the highest number of Emergency Department visits
Putting Patients on the Fast Track
After four months of rapid improvements, emergency room stay decreased from 162 minutes to the team’s target of 90 minutes.
Details
Why This Matters
- The length of stay exceeded national benchmarks — patients were waiting up to three hours with minor injuries that required a short amount of physician time.
Test of Change
- The team defined triage urgency using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) and set up a fast track area at the front of the department.