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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.
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.