Authors (including presenting author) :
Lau MH(1), Wong CY(1), Leung HC(1), Leung PM (1), Lam MS(1), Fong YL(1), Wong WH(1), Wong YH(1), Yuen WH(2), Ma KC(3), Wong WM(4), Chan HL(5), Tang CT(6), Wong MC(7)
Affiliation :
(1) Nursing Service Division, Pok Oi Hospital & Tin Shui Wai Hospital, (2) Medicine & Geriatrics, Pok Oi Hospital, (3) Mixed Specialty Wards & Ambulatory Service Centre, Pok Oi Hospital, (4) Accident & Emergency Department, Pok Oi Hospital, (5) Medicine & Geriatrics /Mixed Specialty Wards, Tin Shui Wai Hospital, (6) Accident & Emergency Department, Tin Shui Wai Hospital. (7) Oncology Department, Tin Shui Wai Hospital.
Introduction :
During winter, hospitals experience demand surge justified by higher A&E attendances and inpatient bed occupancy, which can delay and worsen patients’ outcomes. To tackle these challenges, collaboration between a bed management coordinator from the Nursing Services Division (NSD) and on-call ward managers is essential to manage bed assignments and patient flow. Leveraging innovations like the Capacity Command Centre and Ward Place - Bed Status provided by the Hospital Authority Head Office (HAHO) enables real-time data on bed capacity and mitigate congestion.
Objectives :
This initiative aims to (1) improve bed assignment efficiency to shorten admission waiting times and (2) foster intra-hospital communication to manage bed availability and address potential patient overflow.
Methodology :
The strategy encompasses several key components to manage demand surges and alleviate congestion: 1. Universal Overflow System: Activated at specific occupancy thresholds to balance patient distribution and wards’ workload 2. Real-Time Monitoring Tools: - Capacity Command Centre: Provide an overview of admission queues and discharge statuses, consolidate discharge planning. - CR Bed Booking Queue: Streamline elective admission scheduling to optimize bed use - AI Predications for In-Patient Discharges: Assist in discharge preparation with forecasts - WardPlace – Bed Status: Visualize availability of general and Isolation beds - NTWC Auto-Generated Email Updates: Provide real-time occupancy sorted by specialty 3. Set-Up of Discharge Lounge and Private Hospital Low Charge Bed Options: Expedite patient discharges. 4. Regular and Ad-Hoc Bed Management Meetings: Facilitate decision-making with updated bed status, prioritize admissions based on collaborative planning and develop contingency plans
Result & Outcome :
The strategy has significantly enhanced bed management and inter-departmental collaboration. Efficient meetings typically lasting 20-30 minutes streamline decision-making and planning for night admissions, significantly reducing waiting times for M&G patients and controlling access blocks. The number of patients waiting over an hour for admission was remarkably reduced. These processes are continually refined through ongoing evaluations and monitoring. Conclusion: Integrating smart products with inter-department collaboration has effectively mitigated A&E access blocks and bolstered hospital operations during peak periods, thus fostering a culture of teamwork, improving patient care and outcomes.
