Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan TH (1), Wong E (1), Chan WL (1), Tang H (1), Wong CY (2), Lee LLY (1), Lau CL (1)(2)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Accident & Emergency, Tin Shui Wai Hospital
(2) Department of Accident & Emergency, Pok Oi Hospital
Introduction :
Tin Shui Wai Hospital (TSWH) is a newly-established hospital. At the initial phase of Accident & Emergency (A&E) service from March 2017 to November 2018, there is no in-patient service in TSWH. Patients requiring admission need to be transferred by ambulance to other hospitals and majority of these patients are transferred by ambulance of Priority Two Transfer (P2). There is substantial amount of P2 ambulance call during the peak demand period. Selected patients requiring P2 ambulance service would be grouped to enhance the efficiency of patient transfer.
Objectives :
1. To enhance the efficiency of patient transfer by grouping of selected patients to be transferred by P2 ambulance.
2. To standardize the patient selection and workflow of grouping for the P2 ambulance transfer.
Methodology :
1. A pre-defined stringent selection criteria is used to identify patients who are suitable for grouping. Patients with infectious risks, violent potential, drunk or with unstable condition requiring nurse escort would be excluded from the selection of grouping.
2. Only patients to be transferred to the same destination can be grouped together. A maximum of three patients would be allowed for the conveyance by the same ambulance.
3. Once identifying patients fulfilled the criteria of grouping, nurses would liaise with Ambulance Controller or Fire Service Communication Centre (FSCC) to notify and confirm the grouping.
4. The grouping should follow the time sequence of P2 ambulance requests, and there would be no jump queue of patient transfer.
Result & Outcome :
There is monthly audit to monitor the frequency of P2 ambulance call and the efficiency of grouping. In the period from March 2018 to October 2018, there was 7075 patients requiring P2 ambulance service for transfer in A&E of TSWH. 2272 patients (32.11%) fulfilled the criteria of grouping, and subsequently 1145 P2 ambulances were utilized to convey the grouped patients. In this 8-month study period, 1127 P2 ambulance journeys and 15.93% (1127/7075) of P2 ambulance were saved by the implementation of grouping.
Co-location with:
