Zero LWOT metric appeared on the hospital dashboard at United Hospital Center

Jan 28 2010

The week of Christmas left no one turned away from the Emergency Department at United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. For the first time in years, a zero LWOT (Left Without Treatment) metric appeared on the hospital dashboard. Compirion Healthcare Solutions, a healthcare process improvement firm from Elm Grove Wisconsin, worked side-by-side with the Triage/Registration Core Team to make that happen.

Compirion was hired to facilitate the Patients First project, a hospital-wide initiative to improve patient satisfaction and wait times. Goals included reducing the number of patients who Left Without Treatment to fewer than 2% and raising Patient Satisfaction rankings to the 75th percentile. At the start of the 28-week project, the LWOT percentage was 2.8. On Week 20 into the project, the percentage had reached zero. United Hospital Center normally sees about 109 patients per day.

According to Compirion consultant Roxanne Tackett, the reduction in the number of walkouts can be attributed to a dramatic reduction in overall Patient Throughput time, especially Door-to-Bed time; the Charge Nurses rounding on a regular basis; and significantly improved communication among the staff.

"Role descriptions are more defined and consistent throughout the organization. Also, work processes, including admissions and discharges, are better. All ancillary departments are on the same page in improving 'Patients First' and enhancing quality of expeditious patient care," said Clinical Supervisor Renee Hamrick.

Nurse Manager Pam Mayle added, "My staff can see the big picture. They see the hospital as a whole and patient as a whole. Staff can put things together, no longer just doing tasks – as they now see the bigger picture – like making rounds and being a better manager. Patients and visitors have nice things to say for once! It's like day and night, so much different. I feel like I am making a difference now!"

Along with the elimination of LWOT, Press Ganey InPatient Satisfaction rankings have soared to the 97th percentile. Hospital President and CEO Bruce Carter remarked, "I haven't seen scores like this in 23 years."