Proposal for an Interdisciplinary Plan

Because of the correlation between overcrowding and increased hospital lengths of stay and poor health outcomes and patient satisfaction, Mercy Hospital is working to optimize its Emergency Department’s operations. An interdisciplinary strategy for improved patient outcomes is offered to help reach this objective. A team of doctors, nurses, administrators, and support personnel from places like the ER, radiology, lab, and IT will be working together to implement this strategy. The team will do a needs analysis to see what can be done to make things better, such as cutting down on wait times and improving lines of communication.

The team plans on establishing a rapid response team to manage critical patients, adopting electronic medical records to streamline documentation and ordering, standardizing protocols for common procedures, and using real-time dashboards to track patient flow. The plan’s efficacy and the results of these actions will be monitored and evaluated regularly by the multidisciplinary team. To ensure the planned changes are well-received and sustainable, we will regularly ask for input from patients, clinicians, and employees (Zhang, et al, 2019).

Therefore, the multidisciplinary approach proposed by Mercy Hospital suggests cross-departmental cooperation to enhance ED efficiency. Implementing the plan’s many interventions and receiving continuous feedback from all involved is crucial to its success. The strategy will make Mercy Hospital the first option for emergency treatment by enhancing patient happiness and experience via better patient flow and results.

Objective

The department intends to employ the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework to foster collaboration among various specialties within the department and deliberate on modifications aimed at enhancing the department’s operational efficiency. The implementation of this model will enable the department to sustain modifications and engage in cooperation to enhance patient contentment, results, and operational efficiency.

Inquiry and Hypotheses

1. What is the definition of an acceptable and efficient workflow in the Emergency Department? Efficient workflow in the department can be inferred from reduced wait times and improved patient outcomes. While certain individuals seek medical attention for non-urgent matters, others require prompt care, and extended wait times may have adverse effects on their prognosis.

1. What modifications are necessary to the schedule to account for the department’s busiest periods? The current nursing schedule comprises 5 nurses for the day shift, 6 nurses for the mid-shift, and 5 nurses for the night shift. Ideally, the distribution of mid-shifts would be optimized to better accommodate peak periods, and one nurse from the night shift would be reassigned to a later mid-shift.

1. What are the methods for establishing provider order clusters?
2. Develop a comprehensive protocol for organizing patient information, including both presenting patients and all other patients. An instance of chest pain may prompt medical professionals to conduct diagnostic tests such as electrocardiography (EKG), laboratory analyses, chest radiography, and urine specimen collection. Upon the patient’s arrival at triage exhibiting the aforementioned symptoms, the nurse may proceed to input a per-protocol order. Subsequently, during the patient’s examination, the physician may supplement the orders while in the presence of the patient.

Change theories and leadership.

The Plan-Do-Study-Act model that has been suggested is consistent with the change theory of continuous quality improvement (Fox, et al, 2023). This theory emphasizes the need for continuous collaboration, evaluation, and feedback to achieve long-term improvement. The aforementioned approach is indicative of a transformational leadership style, wherein leaders collaborate with teams to recognize issues and execute solutions that result in favorable outcomes.

To effectively execute the suggested interdisciplinary strategy, leaders must foster an environment that prioritizes cooperation, openness, and responsibility. It is recommended that organizations cultivate transparent communication channels and promote a culture of idea-sharing and feedback among their employees. A crucial aspect of proficient leadership is the provision of resources, training, and support to facilitate the staff’s ability to adjust to changes and attain desired results. Effective leadership entails not only fostering a collaborative culture and providing essential resources but also ensuring that personnel comprehends the reasoning behind proposed modifications and their alignment with the organization’s overarching missio