Because content in this area is still being developed, it is posted in "document" form — and these documents will be updated as the innovation work progresses.
Hospitals are increasingly challenged to reduce waits and delays in moving patients into and out of inpatient beds. Thus far, most attempts to improve patient flow have focused on the emergency department (ED). However, flow is a property of the entire system and can only be optimized at the system level.
IHI is currently working with organizations in the Learning and Innovation Community on Improving Flow Through Acute Care Settings. The work of this Community focuses on increasing patient throughput and minimizing delays while ensuring that high performance in flow is not achieved at the expense of quality. Participating organizations are implementing strategies targeted at increasing throughput/bed turns, optimizing the use of existing capacity, decreasing delays, and reducing length of stay.
As IHI learns more with organizations participating in this Communities, we will post the newest thinking about improving flow through acute care settings to this Emerging Content section. The ideas in this section are promising but are still being tested and refined.
