Contributing Factors to Acute Care Hospital Flow: International Ideas

Abstract


 High-functioning acute care hospitals enable efficient patient flow from admission to discharge with the right care from the right providers at the right time.
 Barriers to patient flow can result in cascading events and contribute to patient harm and caregiver burnout.
 Quality improvement endeavours in the UK, Switzerland, Finland, and the US have shown success through addressing workplace culture, utilizing management and process theories, altering roles and responsibilities, and taking advantage of technologies.
 Successful and sustainable improvements tend to involve substantial planning along with engagement of stakeholders in the design and implementation of a tailored approach.