Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Web&Action: Using Data to Assess and Improve Operational Performance in the Emergency Department

Overview

Is your emergency department plagued by operational shortcomings that lead to disorganization and confusion?
Are you unable to keep up with demand?
Would you like to increase throughput with the same amount of resources?

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI’s) new Web&ACTION, Using Data to Assess and Improve Operational Performance in the Emergency Department, is designed to help organizations identify and address the root causes driving these issues. This interactive distance-learning program will enable teams to assess effectively the most significant emergency department (ED) statistical operational measures affecting flow and throughput. You can then use your assessment to develop an ideal operational model to develop and implement a plan for improvement.

Expert faculty will explain the principles of queuing and flow through the emergency department and introduce participants to the EDucate tool, developed by Jody Crane, MD, MBA, and Charles Noon, PhD, MBA. Teams will learn about the tool’s components, including how inputs will be synthesized to isolate and explain acute problems. Using the outputs of the tool, teams will then begin to target high-leverage areas for improvement.

Upon completion of this Web&ACTION, participants will be able to:

Summarize demand capacity issues within the emergency department with respect to nursing and physician hours and bed demand
Determine the best staffing by hour of day based on modules of patient demand and to determine the ideal schedule for staff
Create an operational plan to drive future emergency department management decisions

Web&ACTION Programs

Web&ACTION programs combine intensive expert-led web-based learning sessions followed by Action Periods during which participants apply their knowledge into real-time practice through detailed assignments. Each Web&ACTION series includes:

Webinars: In a series of three intensive, interactive, expert-guided web-based sessions, participants learn the basics and are guided through all essential learning and materials.

Action Periods: Each webinar is followed by an Action Period during which participating teams carry out a detailed, front-line assignment designed to put the learning from that webinar into practice. Participants submit the results of their Action Period assignment to the faculty prior to the next webinar.

Who Should Attend?

Physicians
Nurses
Managers
Quality Control Personnel
ED Leadership
Quality Improvement Staff
Management Engineers