Improving Acute Hospital to Community Hospital Flow with Expedited Referrals
Care Process & Redesign
National Healthcare Innovation and Productivity Medals
National Healthcare Group
31 December 2021
Ensure 80% of Acute to Community Hospital (AH-CH) transfers occur within 1 day. Streamlined referral workflows significantly reduced delays and enhanced resource allocation.
Year Submitted: 2021
Published Date: 31 December 2021
Tags: Care Process ＆ Redesign, Access To Care, Productivity, Turnaround Time, Quality Improvement, Workflow Redesign, Cost Saving
About this Content
Aims
Ensure 80% of Acute to Community Hospital (AH-CH) transfers occur within 1 day.
Background
Delays in referrals led to inefficiencies, affecting patient flow and resource utilization.
Methods
Implemented a streamlined expedited referral process via PDCA methodology, including simplified forms and upfront financial counseling.
Results
Reduced turnaround time from 3.12 days to 1.25 days; achieved 81% transfers within 1 day, saving $4.8M in productivity.
Conclusion
Streamlined referral workflows significantly reduced delays and enhanced resource allocation.
Lessons Learnt
Collaboration and clear communication across teams enable sustained process improvements.
Keywords
Care Process, Referrals, Hospital Flow
Innovators' Details
Innovators' Details
Healthcare Cluster(s) | National Healthcare Group |
Organization(s) Involved | Yishun Health, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Yishun Community Hospital |
Platform(s) | National Healthcare Innovation and Productivity Medals |
Healthcare Professional Group(s) | Healthcare Administration |
Applicable Specialty or Discipline | Healthcare Administrators |
Project Lead(s) | Fatimah Moideen Kutty |
Project Member(s) | Phoa Lee Lan |
Connect with this contributor!
Fatimah Moideen Kutty - fatimah.mk@ktph.com.sg
Project Attachment
C375_KTPH_NHIP_2021_Improving_Acute_Hospital_to_Community_Hospital_Flow.pdf