SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Geographic Based Cohorting and Discharge Metrics

Pdf Summary

This pilot project at Emory University Hospital Midtown (EUHM) evaluated whether geographic-based rounding and a daily interdisciplinary huddle could improve hospital medicine efficiency on Unit 72. Previously, hospitalists were spread across 13 units, making rounding inefficient and coordination difficult.<br /><br />The intervention assigned all eligible patients on the 19-bed med/surg Unit 72 to one hospital medicine team, with exceptions for observation and teaching teams. A daily huddle brought together physicians, nursing, social work, and case management to improve communication and identify discharge barriers.<br /><br />The team tracked two main outcomes: average monthly discharges and length of stay (“time in bed”). Baseline data came from October 2022 to August 2023, while post-intervention data covered November 2023 to May 2024. Data from September and October 2023 were unavailable due to an Epic transition. Outliers greater than 31 days were removed from length-of-stay calculations.<br /><br />Results showed a statistically significant increase in average monthly discharges after the intervention, rising from 72 to 92 per month (p = .0001). Length of stay improved slightly, from 7.3 to 7.1 days, but this change was not statistically significant (p = .26).<br /><br />The authors conclude that geographic-based rounding with interdisciplinary huddles improved discharge throughput at EUHM and likely enhanced care coordination. They plan to continue collecting data on Unit 72 and expand geographic rounding to additional floors to assess whether the benefits persist across the hospital.

Asset Subtitle

Prathima Pangulur

Meta Tag

Author List Allie Goins, Ketino Kobaidze, Lewis Kent, Morgan Heller, Prathima Pangulur, Tracy Shirey, Willie Smith Jr., Yoo Mee Shin

Category Research

Concept Geographic Rounding

Concept Interdisciplinary Huddle

Concept Length of Stay

Concept Inpatient hospital medicine workflow

Concept Discharge Efficiency

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Emory University Hospital Midtown

Presenting Author Prathima Pangulur

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

Emory University Hospital Midtown

geographic-based rounding

interdisciplinary huddle

hospital medicine efficiency

Unit 72

discharge throughput

length of stay

care coordination

hospitalist workflow

med/surg unit

Geographic Rounding

Interdisciplinary Huddle

Length of Stay

Inpatient hospital medicine workflow

Discharge Efficiency