The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle, Maine, announced it has made changes to its emergency department to reduce wait times and improve patient satisfaction.
TAMC decided to address ED efficiency after receiving customer satisfaction surveys that said wait times were too long for patients with non-critical conditions.
To improve patient flow, the hospital added a provider to the ED staff during the day to address medical concerns for non-emergent conditions. The hospital also now performs certain medical tests in the ED instead of sending samples to the hospital laboratory, according to the release.
These changes, in addition to others, have helped decrease the time it takes to get a patient from the ED entrance to an exam room by 38 percent. The total amount of time patients spend in the ED has decreased by 15 percent. Patient satisfaction scores have also improved, according to the release.
The hospital plans to renovate and expand the ED beginning in late summer or early fall.
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TAMC decided to address ED efficiency after receiving customer satisfaction surveys that said wait times were too long for patients with non-critical conditions.
To improve patient flow, the hospital added a provider to the ED staff during the day to address medical concerns for non-emergent conditions. The hospital also now performs certain medical tests in the ED instead of sending samples to the hospital laboratory, according to the release.
These changes, in addition to others, have helped decrease the time it takes to get a patient from the ED entrance to an exam room by 38 percent. The total amount of time patients spend in the ED has decreased by 15 percent. Patient satisfaction scores have also improved, according to the release.
The hospital plans to renovate and expand the ED beginning in late summer or early fall.
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