Dealing with the issue of "Left Without Being Seen" patients is tricky, but better patient flow management may be a solution to the issue, according to a TeleTracking blog post.
In 2012, around 80,000 patients left emergency rooms without being seen, according to the blog post. Governments and hospitals have different ideas on how to deal with the issue of LWBS patients. For example, the state of Washington implemented a three-visit annual limit on Medicaid enrollees for 700 conditions that the state declared as non-emergent. However, hospital officials argue that some of the conditions on the list, such as ear infections and sore throats, do not clog the ER and do not require expensive treatment. They also say that the state restrictions might discourage patients from going to the ER for real emergencies.
Also, it is possible for hospitals to reduce overcrowding in the ER by using capacity management solutions. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia developed a patient flow management center and saw major improvements in its operational efficiency. It achieved a $1.4 million return on investment just because of the improvement in LWBS rates. Reduction in LWBS patients and ER overcrowding can be achieved without compromises, according to the blog post.
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