Reducing Length of Stay on General Medicine Units

The effective management of Length of Stay (LOS), or the duration of a single episode of hospitalization, is critical to ensuring positive patient outcomes as well as managing hospital resources effectively. In order to reduce LOS, it is imperative to understand the root causes of increased LOS. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, a leading medical center in New York City, engaged a Capstone team to examine delays and develop action plans to reduce and/or eliminate delays to decrease LOS. Focusing on inpatient medical units, the team surveyed members of the interdisciplinary teams, collected data during observation of interdisciplinary rounds, and conducted focus groups. From this research, the team identified common communication and process barriers to an effective and timely patient discharge. In addition, the Capstone team performed a comprehensive literature review to identify best practices for LOS reduction. The team analyzed staff perceptions of barriers to timely discharges and recommended strategies for improving communication between all stakeholders to reduce delays related to the discharge process.