Reducing Emergency Department (ED) Length of Stay (LOS) by Implementing a MidTrack Treatment Area (MTA)

Abstract

Treatment Area (MTA): A Program Evaluation​

Bed availability, staffing, and inadequate process flow contribute to a complicated and lengthy transition of patients into and out of the Emergency Department (ED) resulting in significant delays in treatment (ENA, 2018). Emergency Departments across the nation saw volumes of over 130 million patients in 2018 (Cairns, Ashman, and Kang, 2021). Although many studies have determined the need for an expedited process to get patients out of the ED, there is a lack of studies that have proved the value of an effective process to reduce length of stay (LOS). Reduced LOS in the ED can decrease errors, mortality, and overall quality of patient care (Gaieski et al., 2017). The purpose of this program evaluation is to determine the success of a Quality Improvement (QI) project on throughput in the ED. Success is determined by the implementation and evaluation of a care delivery model that incorporates a MidTrack Treatment Area (MTA) into ED nursing standards of practice for patients to reduce ED LOS and Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) rates. An MTA is a designated area within the ED specifically set up for treating a particular population of patients.