Ryerson's Emergency Department Process Improvement Boosts Patient Satisfaction and Overall Volume

June 07, 2010 - Download Word Doc

AKRON, Ohio (June 7, 2010) - Experience proves extraordinary patient-focused care at the front door of hospitals elevates patient satisfaction. It also leads to increases in patient volume and revenue.

Ryerson Healthcare Consultants develops comprehensive emergency department process improvement plans. When hospitals do their job properly at the "front door" - emergency departments - the result is elevated patient satisfaction that can lead to increased market share.

Ryerson Healthcare Consultants, the nation's leader in emergency department process improvement, has three decades of experience spanning more than 540 hospitals in 40 states.

Known as "The Ryerson Way," the company's emergency department process improvement work has addressed all manner of challenges.

Emergency Departments require efficient and effective processes to support timely, quality patient care. Ryerson's ED Improvement Program is designed for emergency department process improvement in the areas of revenue and throughput.

"ED's across the country struggle to manage patient populations and the front door issues they encounter daily," said Neal Greacen, Ryerson's emergency department process improvement specialist. "Overcrowded emergency rooms are a national problem with the continuing trend of hospital and emergency department closings, and increases in ED visits."

In these challenging conditions, many caregivers experience oversights in documentation and charging. "ED managers are often handcuffed with the lack of tools and information to tie together documentation, coding and billing," Greacen said. "These oversights affect evaluation and management leveling, procedure documentation, and charge capture."

He cited examples of challenges:

• Lack of physician signature or diagnosis on charts.
• Inadequate documentation of IV stop times.
• Missed verbal orders. Nurse procedure documentation without orders.
• Monitoring without subsequent documentation.
• Lowered E&M levels due to missed documentation.
• Missed procedures and charges due to lack of documentation.

Emergency department process improvement delivers tangible results. Greacen noted extraordinary patient-focused care improves the patient experience, which increases patient satisfaction, builds patient volume and market share. Press Ganey reports a 7% increase in patient satisfaction for every 20 minute reduction in ED length of stay.

"The potential for increased revenue for ED's that improve their documentation, coding and billing can mean millions of dollars in increased revenue," he said. "Hospital leadership often is unaware of the lost revenue. Ryerson brings insight and direction to caregivers, HIM staff and billing departments, and captures the revenue previously missed."

Contact: Peter Ryerson

Ryerson Healthcare Consultants

330-670-6900

Email Peter