Yet the operations of emergency departments are vital, not only for the ability to quickly treat the seriously ill and injured, but to a hospital’s financial health. For example, patient satisfaction with the ER experience is one way Medicare calculates reimbursement to hospitals.
A more efficient ER translates into profitability for hospitals, since many admissions come from emergency patients who need lab, surgical, imaging and ancillary services such as pharmacy and physical therapy support, said Bruce Naylor, vice president of clinical improvement for VHA Inc., a national network of nonprofit health care facilities that work to improve operations at nonprofit hospital and non-urgent care facilities.
For patients, though, it’s not as simple an equation.
At Integris Southwest Medical Center, emergency physicians use evidence-based medicine, which decreases the amount of high-cost tests and procedures that may not be needed, said Chad Borin, a physician and the department’s assistant medical director.
"That saves the customer money,” he said.
Saving time But mostly, efficient ERs save the customer’s time, and that makes for a more satisfying, stress-free experience, hospital officials said.
The more efficient an emergency department is, and the quicker a visit goes, the better it is for everyone, Naylor said.
"Efficiency does lower costs to hospitals, which could mean the potential to reduce costs for patients,” he said.
A shrinking number of emergency departments and rising demand for services is increasing the wait time for patients, and a number of people leave an ER and never receive treatment because the wait is so long, industry observers say.
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