A study of emergency admissions in England found that over a quarter of admissions did not require an overnight stay (length of stay [LoS] of zero).1 This suggests that many emergency patients could benefit from ambulatory emergency care (AEC)1 by having a systematic approach to process redesign. This entails immediate access to urgent care that would usually require the resources and expertise available in an acute hospital.2
Integrated POCT devices, such as the i-STAT System™, are likely to offer more options for managing patients in an AEC setting.
*The results shown here are specific to this health care facility and may differ from those achieved by other institutions.
Reduce LoS for patients
60% decrease in LoS (half-year post-redesigned process)
increase in patients with 0 days LoS
25% fewer admissions
Economic benefit
more than £1 million per annum
Point-of-care diagnostic tests put invaluable answers in the hands of doctors, clinicians, and caregivers when and where they’re needed most
1. NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. Ambulatory care directory for adult patients. 2009.
2. Royal College of Physicians. Acute Medical Care – the right person, in the right setting – first time. Report of the Acute Medicine Task Force 2007. London. Available at: www.rcplondon.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/acute_medical_care_final_for_web.pdf [Accessed July 2016].
3. Weihser P. Utilising POCT and Service Redesign to Establish an Ambulatory Emergency Care Service. James Paget University Hospitals – NHS. September 8, 2015. [Unpublished presentation].
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