SHEFFIELD-The Emergency Department of Helen Keller Hospital has taken steps to make the emergency room experience smoother for patients. Beginning in the Spring of 2014, Helen Keller Hospital changed the check-in and triage process to make it more efficient for both providers and patients.
In the past, a patient would come into the Emergency Department, check-in with Admitting, sign-in for triage, and wait for triage. After that, there would be an additional wait to be taken into a room to be seen by a provider. Under the new process, patients are being triaged immediately upon arrival and assigned a provider according to the level of care required.
During triage, patients give their basic registration information to a nurse. An admitting clerk will see the patient, after the provider has left, to get insurance information. Patients will be assigned a care level during triage. The levels are 1-5, with 1 being the most critical. This care level is based on symptoms presented during triage and will help determine which provider the patient needs to see.
The Emergency Department has two provider options. The Fast Care option is for minor, non-emergency symptoms such as minor wounds, sore throats, or earaches. The Main Emergency option is for more emergent complaints, such as chest pains, bleeding, or shortness of breath. The division of these providers allows patients to be seen in a more timely manner. However, patients with more emergent symptoms will be seen and treated first.
The new system has significantly decreased patients’ wait time in the Emergency Department. The average door-to-triage wait time for patients is two minutes. The average door-to-provider time is seven minutes.
MEDIA RELEASE/HELEN KELLER HOSPITAL
