Health Management Innovation: Improving Efficiencies in the Emergency Department Via the Modelling of Work Processes

The increasing demand for hospital emergency services has important implications for the allocation of public resources and the management of healthcare services. Although reform is an oft-cited way to improve the healthcare system, it has a limited ability to readily address the increasing demands upon services. However, the problems associated with patient flow in an emergency department (ED) cannot be solely attributed to the demand for emergency services. The supply of hospital services also warrants consideration. Consultation with clinicians in both the emergency and medical imaging departments of a New South Wales public hospital indicated that the insufficient supply of timely sonography services is one cause of patient bottlenecks in the ED. This prompted the question, if and how can we maximise sonography room efficiency? This report presents an innovative approach to identify and translate feasible solutions to improve the efficiency of the Campbelltown Hospital Sonography Department. Premised in visual analytics, the research made use of a software program to represent the sonography department processes within a virtual environment.