Emergency room wait times can lead to frustrated patients and harried staff. That's why Mercy is using software to provide real-time data on patient numbers to improve and speed care.
Mercy participated in a pilot program featured in the Wall Street Journal. The program takes into account the number of patients in the ER, urgency of care and how many people are waiting to be seen or be admitted, in addition to historical data and upward spikes related to weather and other factors. It predicts when the ER may run out of capacity and alerts co-workers who can take steps to expedite tests and get patients discharged or admitted. During the pilot, the average wait times dropped by 15 percent and patients also spent less time waiting to be discharged.
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