Revolutionizing Patient Flow: Enhancing Short Stay Ward Efficiency
Care Process & Redesign
National Healthcare Innovation and Productivity Medals
Private Hospital
10 October 2025
The aim of the project is to address the inpatient bed shortage at Mount Elizabeth Hospital by increasing the take-up rate. The project successfully improved the utilization of the Short Stay Ward, enhancing patientsatisfaction and operational efficiency.
Year Submitted: 2025
Published Date: 10 October 2025
Tags: Care Process ＆ Redesign, Workflow Redesign, Quality Improvement, Bed Occupancy Rate, Access To Care
About this Content
Aims
The aim of the project is to address the inpatient bed shortage at Mount Elizabeth Hospital by increasing the take-up rate of the Short Stay Ward (SSW) during critical hours, with a target of a 50% increase by November 30, 2023.
Background
The SSW has experienced low utilization, contributing to ongoing challenges in hospital bed management, prolonged inpatient bed shortages, extended patient waiting times, and potential loss of patients to competitor hospitals.
Methods
The project used DMAIC, SIPOC, VSM, and FMEA tools to identify key process variables impacting performance. Changes included flexible admission/discharge times, improved communication, and infrastructure upgrades.
Results
The short-stay ward's occupancy rate increased from 2% to 11.60%. Patient satisfaction improved due to flexible admission/discharge times and enhanced amenities.
Conclusion
The project successfully improved the utilization of the Short Stay Ward, enhancing patientsatisfaction and operational efficiency.
Lessons Learnt
Active doctor and staff involvement was crucial. Targeted communication boosted referrals, and regular audits maintained improvements. Clear communication and pre-implementation briefings would have aligned teams better.
Keywords
Patient Flow, Short Stay Ward, Efficiency, Admission, Discharge
Innovators' Details
Innovators' Details
Healthcare Cluster(s) | Private Hospital |
Organization(s) Involved | Mount Elizabeth Hospital |
Platform(s) | National Healthcare Innovation and Productivity Medals |
Healthcare Professional Group(s) | Nursing |
Applicable Specialty or Discipline | Healthcare Administrators |
Project Lead(s) | Kelly Chua |
Project Member(s) | Khor Joo Ling |
Connect with this contributor!
Raman Nadarajan - raman.nadarajan@ihhhealthcare.com
Project Attachment
206_MEH_NHIP_2025_Revolutionizing_Patient_Flow_Enhancing_Short_Stay_Ward_Efficiency.pdf