Scanning the Headlines: Timeliness

A bibliographic listing of recently published material related to timeliness.

Updated March 21, 2016

Links to full-text articles are provided where available.
For information on obtaining print copies of articles, please call the AHA Resource Center at (312) 422-2050.


MacDonald, I. (2015, Nov. 3). ERs on the critical list: Wait times get longer across the country. FierceHealthcare. Retrieved from: http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/ers-critical-list-wait-times-get-longer-across-country/2015-11-03

Stempniak, M. (2015, July 6). Six principles hospitals can embrace to squash wait times, foster 'immediate responsiveness'. H&HN. Retrieved from: http://emailactivity1.ecn5.com/engines/linkfrom.aspx?b=1113168&e=253184277&lid=8631531&ulid=95000&l=http://www.hhnmag.com/Daily/2015/July/institue-of-medicine-wait-times-emergency-department-patient-experience-stempniak

ER Wait Watcher: Which Emergency Room Will See You the Fastest? By Lena Groeger, Mike Tigas and Sisi Wei. ProPublica, May, 27, 2015 Retrieved from: https://projects.propublica.org/emergency/

Brandenburg, L., Gabow, P., Steele, G., Toussaint, J., and Tyson, B. (2015, Feb.). Innovation and Best Practices in Health Care Scheduling. Washington: Institute of Medicine. Retrieved from: http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Perspectives-Files/2015/SchedulingBestPractices.pdf

Kaplan, G., Hamilton Lopez, M., and McGinnis, J., editors. (2015). Transforming Health Care Scheduling and Access: Getting to Now. Washington: National Academies Press. Retrieved from: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/20220/transforming-health-care-scheduling-and-access-getting-to-now

Stack, P. Better patient flow. H&HN. Aug. 14, 2014. http://www.hhnmag.com/display/HHN-news-article.dhtml?dcrPath=/templatedata/HF_Common/NewsArticle/data/HHN/Daily/2014/Aug/081414-stack-patientflow&utm_source=daily

Veterans Health Administration - Interim Report. Washington: VA Office of Inspector General, May 28, 2014. http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-14-02603-178.pdf

Hostetter M and Klein S. In-focus: improving patient flow – in and out of hospitals and beyond. Quality Matters [Commonwealth Fund], Nov/Dec 2013. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Newsletters/Quality-Matters/2013/October-November/In-Focus-Improving-Patient-Flow.aspx

Litvak, E., and Fineberg, H. Smoothing the way to hgih quality, safety, and economy. New England Journal of Medicine. 369:1581-1583, Oct. 24, 2013. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1307699

Zappa, M., and others. Regionalization: getting the right care at the right time saves lives. MGMA Connexion. 13(4):41-43, Apr. 2013.

Working for Quality. 2013 Annual Progress Report to Congress. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 2013. http://www.ahrq.gov/workingforquality/nqs/nqs2013annlrpt.htm

Stempniak, M. Building a new ED without the bricks and mortar. H&HN. Aug. 21, 2012. http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=5340002035

Hing, E., and Bhuiya, F. Wait Time for Treatment in Hospital Emergency Departments: 2009. Washington: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Aug. 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db102.htm

Oh, J. AF4Q hospitals improve readmissions, language services and other quality measures. Becker's Hospital Review. July 31, 2012. http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/af4q-hospitals-improve-readmissions-language-services-and-other-quality-measures.html

Unclogging patient flow in the ED and beyond. Healthcare Financial Management. Spring 2012. http://www.hfma.org/Publications/Leadership-Publication/Archives/Special-Reports/Spring-2012/Unclogging-Patient-Flow-in-the-ED-and-Beyond/

Quinn, R. EDs look to hospitalists to solve crowding. The eWire. May 13, 2011. http://www.the-hospitalist.org/details/article/1065765/EDs_Look_to_Hospitalists_to_Solve_Crowding.html

Using Tracking Tools to Improve Patient Flow in Hospitals. Issue Brief. Oakland, CA: California Healthcare Foundation, Apr. 2011. http://www.chcf.org/~/media/MEDIA%20LIBRARY%20Files/PDF/U/PDF%20UsingPatientTrackingToolsInHospitals.pdf

Fields, R. 5 strategies to improve patient flow in a busy hospital. Becker's Hospital Review. Mar. 30, 2011. http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/or-efficiencies/5-strategies-to-improve-patient-flow-in-a-busy-hospital.html

Weber, E., and others. Emptying the corridors of shame: organizational lessons from England's 4-hour emergency throughput target. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 57(2):79-88, Feb. 2011. http://www.annemergmed.com/article/PIIS0196064410013648/abstract

2010 National Healthcare Quality Report. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Feb. 2011. http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqr10/nhqr10.pdf

Major, J. Mid-South Hospital Allows Paid Reservations in ER. Memphis, TN: WMC-TV. Nov. 9, 2010. http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13473665

Doucette, J., and Wentzel, C. F. “No wait” policy has broad goal. ED Management. 22(9):106-107, Sept. 2010.

Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence. Patient throughput, including case studies. Chicago: American Hospital Association, accessed Aug. 31, 2010.

McKinney, M. Calif. seeks ER overcrowding solutions. Modern Physician online, Aug. 23, 2010 [free registration required].

15-minute policy results in few refunds. ED Management. 31(8):88-89, Aug. 2010.

Northam, L. Data sparks on-time improvements. OR Manager. 26(8):11-12, Aug. 2010.

Team agreement, competition boost record for on-time starts. OR Manager. 26(8):1, 8-10, Aug. 2010.

Bassette, M., and Wade, C. Creative space use slashes wait times. ED Management. 22(7):76, July 2010.

Bradt, S. Patients can text EDs for wait times. ED Management. 22(6):64-65, June 2010.

Bradt, S. Education precedes publicized wait times. ED Management. 22(6):65-66, June 2010.

Groome, L. J., and Mayeaux, E. J., Jr. Decreasing extremes in patient waiting time. Quality Management in Health Care. 19(2):117-128, Apr.-June 2010.

Web-based tool allows patients to check wait times, doctor schedules. HealthBeat. May 26, 2010.

Baumlin, K. M., and others. Clinical information system and process resdesign improves emergency department efficiency. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. 36(4):179-185, Apr. 2010.

Gamble, K. H. Wait watchers. Healthcare Informatics. 27(4):30-31, Apr. 2010.

Best practices expediting patient discharge: UMass Memorial Medical Center. E-Newsletter. 7 (2) 1-2, Mar.-Apr. 2010.

Improving Patient Flow and Reducing Emergency Department (ED) Crowding. Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Feb. 2010.

Carrus, B., Corbett, S., and Khandelwal, D. A hospital-wide strategy for fixing emergency-department overcrowding. McKinsey Quarterly, Jan. 2010. [free registration may be required to view].

Emergency department decreases 4-hour wait times to 9 minutes. ED Management. 22(1):1-3, Jan. 2010.

Flow strategies cover processes in and out of ED. ED Management. 22(1):3-5, Jan. 2010.

Emergency departments post wait times on the web. ED Management. 22(1):10-11, Jan. 2010.

Pulse Report 2010. Emergency Department: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care. South Bend, IN: Press Ganey, 2010.

Litvak, E., editor. Managing Patient Flow in Hospitals: Strategies and Solutions. 2nd ed. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission Resources, 2010. (WX 215 M2665 2010).

Shiver, J., and Eitel, D. Optimizing Emergency Department Throughput: Operations Management Solutions for Health Care Decision Markers. Baca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2010. (WX 215 O62 2010).