
As patient volumes increase and health care resources become ever more stretched, it is now more important than ever that we as emergency physicians learn to practice with a high degree of efficiency without sacrificing the quality of our care. After reviewing the literature, speaking with a large number of physicians and reflecting, here are what I believe to be the best ways to improve your on shift efficiency:
- Leave every patient’s room with a plan for their disposition.
- Don’t defer decisions that can be made now.
- Don’t order tests that won’t change management.
- Whenever feasible order tests concurrently, not in sequence.
- Communicate the plan to nursing. Entering orders into the EMR is not enough.
- When a disposition can be made, do it now, do not delay.
- When working at night, see a few patients in the same area at once.
- SIT in the room with patients but STAND at the work desk.
- Start fast.
- Don’t cherry pick.
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