Improving Patient Flow and Hygiene in Hospitals

Hospitals are presented with the unique challenge of treating thousands of patients on a daily basis but how can they manage all their patients effectively. There is a constant need to manage and monitor who is admitted and discharged within the hospital, as well as doing so in a way that is as effective and safe as possible. This need to better manage patient flow and enforce good hygiene is now more important than ever.

What is Patient Flow?

In its simplest terms, patient flow refers to the movement of patients in a hospital environment, from the point of admission until the point of discharge.

The best way to understand patient flow is to think about it in a more familiar context. 

Patient flow is not an issue solely confined to the medical sector; in fact, the most common way to think about patient flow is how the process applies to driving on a motorway.

When there is congestion on a motorway, faster movement out of traffic requires more space; when there are more cars, there is less space and movement slows down. The problem cannot be solved simply by the car moving faster - and the same applies to patient flow in hospitals.

When the movement of patients and beds exceeds the required space needed, the speed at which patients can be admitted and discharged decreases dramatically, causing issues.

Why Is Patient Flow An Issue?

Numerous factors affect how quickly hospitals can admit patients and discharge patients, such as capacity and free space, as well as the access control systems in place to help manage patient flow. In recent years, the problem has become more profound, with many hospitals unable to hit their target of admitting or transferring 95% of people from A&E within 4 hours. 

Perhaps this is not surprising though -  the volume of patients being treated in hospitals has been steadily increasing over time.

While a 2% increase in the volume of patients between 2015 and 2020 doesn’t sound like a lot, an extra 30,946 admissions in 2020 when compared to 2015 has, in turn, put extra pressure on dealing with effective patient flow. This, combined with an ever ageing UK population (by 2030 one in five people will be aged 65 or over) is putting an additional strain on the UK medical industry, which has already been struggling for some time. 

Hygiene Protocol In Hospitals

Due to the managing of many patients and the physical movement of them as a result of patient flow, good hygiene for staff, as well as personal hygiene for patients in hospital, is vital.

With the current issue of coronavirus sweeping the nation, the one positive thing the virus has highlighted is the need for good hygiene.

While there are many reasons hygienic practices like hand washing are sometimes overlooked, such as dispensers not being conveniently located in the hospital, or staff’s attention being demanded elsewhere in the busy hospital environment, the question is now more pressing than ever - how can hospitals better manage patient flow while still ensuring patient safety?

Patient Flow Solutions

While greater capacity is an option, it is only a small part of the overall solution. Many hospitals simply do not have the funds or the space required to expand and improve capacity, not to mention the time required and the possible impact it may have on other areas of the hospital during the installation.

A far greater solution is focusing on improving the management of both staff and patients in and out of the hospital, which can be achieved through both effective access control systems, as well as user-friendly and multi-functional entryways and exits in key locations to better manage the flow of people. 

Take Southern General Hospital, a hospital in Glasgow whose focus is on acute care beds for patients. Unsurprisingly, this focus on acute care required an even greater need to better manage patient flow within the hospital.

The solution? A new bespoke multi-functional revolving door, capable of better managing the flow of patients and staff in and out of the building, with a particular focus on auto-swing pass doors for greater ease of use for disabled patients. 

Effective entryways that meet the specific needs of the hospital, combined with an access control system that relies on automatic monitoring of bed use and flow, will ensure hospitals face far less pressure when it comes to patient flow and creating a safe hospital environment.

For more information on how we could help your hospital better manage and improve patient flow, please contact us.