Increasing
complex and competitive healthcare environments are changing the way emergency
departments are addressing the needs of their patients and staff. ED leaders
are being tasked and challenged to lead the new era of transformation, with
timely, actionable, and trusted information to help monitor performance in
order to reduce costs and improve the quality of care.
A
study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that 48% of all
healthcare occurs within the emergency department, highlighting the use of the
ED as a place for non-emergency visits. This has created an imbalance within
the department, creating deficiencies in both inpatient and outpatient
resources, along with a lack of effective prevention. 20% of ED cases are
actual emergencies, but insurance companies can sometimes try and prevent
people from going into the ED, causing even more challenges.
C3TechTargeting,
in partnership with d2i, conducted an analytic study on the availability and
impact of data analytics within the emergency department. Participants were
asked what the state of their EDs were and the performance reporting process.
Some of the study highlights include:
The
responses from participants seemed to suggest that many of the respondents
weren’t even aware of more robust analytics that could possibly save them time
and money. The inconsistency of E&M codes also directed interviewers to the
state of EHR data, which created the additional challenge of integration with
claims †œ in turn, this creates inefficient processing for billing and subjected
to greater human error.
These
points give way to the number one cited performance improvement for the ED and
that’s patient satisfaction. As mentioned, the ED is becoming a place for both
emergencies and non-emergency care, generating greater crowding, leaving
without being seen (LWBS) cases, and slower turnaround time for ancillary
services. In a growing digital world, where organizations are often judged by
either word of mouth or social media platforms, financial grants and funds are
based on the quality of care of a healthcare facility.
Despite
patient satisfaction being a top performance metric need, many respondents
aren’t sure how to improve this area or believe that improvement here was out
of their control due to lack of information on how to identify specific actions
for improvement.
These
challenges showcase the need for better analytics that can be easily
integrated, managed, and maintained without the need for manual entering, which
is most participants cited as their main implementation.
To see
more insights about this report, go to our short form to download the in-depth
report with results on the study and further info on how analytics can help to
streamline the healthcare industry.