Speed and Skill
Emergency Room Offers Short Wait Times, High-Tech Service

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital's emergency roomis a bit unique among ERs around the country. The average wait time to see a physician is 20 minutes. Compare that to the national average wait time of four hours and seven minutes. And during the 20 minutes, a patient's information is recorded in an electronic medical record (EMR). He or see is also taken to a room, evaluated and has his or her vital signs taken.

"That time is pretty exceptional," notes Raj Chand, MD, Medical Director of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital.

How did the department get so efficient? Because of continuous process improvement, he explains. Over the last three years, he and his team critically evaluated processes and redesigned them with the patient in mind. The goal: to bring value to patients by allowing them to see a physician as quickly as possible.

"It's never just one thing," Chand adds. "It's a thousand different things that we've focused on to rebuild our processes to deliver better, faster patient care."

Safety First

Besides its efficient service, the ER prides itself on its safety initiatives. An electronic medical record system allows medical personnel to access patients' records from other Inova hospitals. That permits doctors to act quickly to help patients. Before, the department had to call other emergency rooms to receive records, slowing down the time it took to treat patients.

Another way it has improved safety is through its simulation lab. A team of two doctors and three nurses will practice with a mannequin to re-enact high-risk events, such as pediatric cardiac arrest, overdoses and poisonings.

"It gives them a chance to work without the pressure and urgency of a real-life situation," Chand says.

Scribes

There are other new innovative programs in place at the ER. Over the last two years, the department instituted a Medical Scribe Program. Scribes are college grads who plan to go to medical school or physician assistant school. During the program, which lasts up to two years, they observe doctors at work and help doctors with documentation. This not only helps them learn about medicine but also helps doctors with their workload.

"That's been a huge satisfier," Chand says. "The scribes dramatically increase your ability to spend time with patients and explain certain tests," he says.

All of the work by the department is "to provide the best emergency care," Chand says. "I'm so proud of our patient experience that I send friends and family here. I don't think I could ever work at a place where I could not be a patient."