Designing a Fast Track Unit in an OB/GYN Triage Unit

Triage being the initial point of entry into the Women’s and Health services carries its own challenges as well as determining the flow and productivity of the rest of the department. Historically, patient satisfaction scores are impacted by patients’ and families’ experiences while they are in an ED or triage setting.  A level III labor and delivery (LDR) unit, where more than 7,000 births occur annually, houses a separate OB/GYN Triage Unit. The OBGYN Triage unit consisted of 10 assessment beds that had evolved over the years to include evaluations of women who are fewer than 20-weeks pregnant and women who present with gynecological issues.  Although statistics did not demonstrate a significant increase in patient visits, statistics did however demonstrate an increased patient length of stay in the OB/GYN Triage due to a higher OB/GYN patient acuity.

A multidisciplinary team met and reviewed the patient care flow in triage, feedback from patients’ satisfaction surveys, and discussed how to best utilize available resources without compromising quality of care delivered to the OB/GYN patient.         

Included in the presentation will be the identified barriers and working solutions that over time have been modified following feedback from nursing and physician staff.  Additional information will include the developing role of the nurse in the six bed Fast Track room, patient population seen by the Fast Track nurse and statistics that demonstrated a positive impact of the Fast Track Unit initiative.