SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-An Inpatient Medicine Service Expansion Pilot to Improve Hospital Flow, Patient Safety, and Professional Satisfaction

An Inpatient Medicine Service Expansion Pilot to Improve Hospital Flow, Patient Safety, and Professional Satisfaction

Pdf Summary

This inpatient medicine service pilot at the Washington DC VA Medical Center tested whether expanding the number of inpatient teams could reduce workload and improve care. Because team censuses had steadily increased since 2019 and were linked to burnout, reduced learning opportunities, and safety concerns, the intervention added a seventh medicine team for six weeks in early 2024. The new team used a modified staffing model and also increased support from social work, case management, and pharmacy.<br /><br />The study measured team census, discharge timing, length of stay, burnout, and perceived patient safety before, during, and after the pilot. Results showed the expansion reduced average team census by 18.67%, or 2.8 fewer patients per team per day, even after accounting for hospital census changes. Discharge efficiency improved, with more patients discharged before noon and before 2 p.m. The proportion of patients with prolonged length of stay also decreased.<br /><br />Survey data from trainees and staff showed notable improvements in professional wellbeing. Burnout scores improved from 3.56 to 2.20, and perceived risk that workload was jeopardizing patient safety fell by 56.67%. Overall, the pilot suggests that a modified inpatient team expansion can improve flow, discharge smoothing, staff satisfaction, and perceived safety. The authors conclude that further work is needed to determine how to sustain and scale this staffing model.

Asset Subtitle

Ashley Yoo

Meta Tag

Author List Ashley Yoo, Cherinne Arundel, Christopher Walker, Purven Parikh, Shreya Gunda, Susan Barba

Category Research

Concept Inpatient Medicine Service Team

Concept Team Census

Concept Additional Medicine Team

Concept Hospital Flow Metrics

Concept Length of Stay

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization George Washington University

Presenting Author Ashley Yoo

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

inpatient medicine

team expansion

workload reduction

burnout

patient safety

discharge efficiency

length of stay

staffing model

hospital flow

VA Medical Center

Inpatient Medicine Service Team

Team Census

Additional Medicine Team

Hospital Flow Metrics

Length of Stay