Emergency Department
Communications

Improve the experience of waiting in the emergency department (ED) for Ascension patients by providing

frequent updates, setting clear expectations, and

reducing surprises.

Client

Ascension

My Involvement

14 months

My Contributions

Secondary Research,

On-site Research,

Solution Evaluation,

Design Development,

Prototyping,

Pilot Program Planning

Teammates

Aaron Ferber,

Adam Galea,

Aniela Chertavian,

Pam Nyberg,

Marilyn Frank,

Teal Gruebele,

Theresa Anantasomboon

Going to the Emergency Department (more commonly known as the emergency room/ER) can be a daunting experience. The journey is filled with uncertainties, including the duration of the visit. Hospitals cannot always control wait times or provide time estimates, but they can improve the waiting experience by enhancing communication.

Patients in the Emergency Department are currently exposed to inconsistent signage, graphics, and verbal communications. Improving the cohesiveness of these elements will help manage patient expectations more effectively.

On-site Research

11 EDs visited and studied across 2 states: Texas and Michigan

80+ hours of shadowing and observational research.

Understanding Processes

Making sense of the complexity of the emergency department by making

journey maps, process maps, service blueprints, and spatial flow diagrams.

ED Split Flow Scenarios

ED Process with Throughput Metrics

Internal
Audit

Doing continuous research on what solutions individual Ascension hospitals or Ascension national has used or created throughout the years including new endeavors already in development.

Industry
Research

Doing continuous research on what other health systems have done, existing vendors for solutions, and published research on subjects related to the project.