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Important Risk and Safety Information for Gebauer’s Pain Ease® and Gebauer’s Ethyl Chloride®:

Do not spray in eyes. Over spraying may cause frostbite. Freezing may alter skin pigmentation. Use caution when using product on persons with poor circulation. The thawing process may be painful and freezing may lower resistance to infection and delay healing. If skin irritation develops, discontinue use. CAUTION: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a licensed healthcare practitioner.

Gebauer’s Pain Ease Only:

Apply only to intact oral mucous membranes. Do not use on genital mucous membranes. Consult your pediatrician when using on children 4 years old and younger.

Gebauer’s Ethyl Chloride Only:

Published clinical trial results support the use in children 3 years of age and older. Ethyl chloride is FLAMMABLE and should never be used in the presence of an open flame or electrical cautery equipment. Use in a well-ventilated area. Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating or inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal. Do not spray in eyes. Over application of the product may lead to frostbite and/or altered skin pigmentation. Cutaneous sensitization may occur, but appears to be extremely rare. CAUTION: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a licensed healthcare practitioner.

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How Healthcare Administrators Can Improve Patient Flow

By: Bethany Nock | On: December 3, 2015
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patient-flow

Bottlenecks caused by patient flow not only reduce efficiency and revenue, but also affect patient satisfaction levels. Improving flow starts with evaluating current systems and procedures to determine whether they are effective or are just hampering your efforts to provide quality healthcare.

Below are a few ways you can eliminate patient flow bottlenecks.

Change Shift Times and Staffing Levels to Meet Demand

Fifty years ago, hospital administrators wanted to be sure departments were adequately staffed Monday through Friday, during normal working hours. But in today’s 24/7 world, that model is no longer efficient or effective.

If Mondays and Saturdays are particularly busy in the ER, it makes sense to schedule more staff during those days and make appropriate changes to shift start and end times. For example, your ER usage statistics might indicate that a significant number of patients begin arriving at 7 a.m. Monday, the same time as the nursing shift changeover. Changing shifts to end and start at 6 a.m. means patients won’t have to wait until changeover ends to be seen.

Spread Procedures Throughout the Week

Bottlenecks are likely to occur when the majority of procedures are performed during the first part of the week. Spacing out procedures means patients will have shorter wait times and staff will be less stressed, but it also will mean changes must be made to weekend staffing levels in all departments.

It’s important to make sure your laboratory, radiology services, physical therapy department and other departments are adequately staffed on the weekends to handle the needs of patients who undergo surgery or other procedures later in the week.

Start a Conversation

Let’s say your nursing staff is complaining that their patients wait an average 45 minutes before being seen in radiology, and the radiology department complains it’s being inundated with patients in the mornings.

It may seem obvious, but a meeting with nursing and radiology together can help both sides understand the issues and develop a solution. In this case, scheduling non-urgent tests for the afternoon and using a central scheduling process to make sure certain time slots aren’t overbooked can alleviate high demand.

Use Patient Management and Data-Tracking Software

This software not only compiles data, but offers real time information on current wait times and bottlenecks. Flow management options help staff determine next steps during triage and provide prompts during the stay so patients can move on to the next stage in treatment. Real-time updating means everyone can access lab results and medical records as they’re added.

Taking advantage of software tools, re-evaluating traditional scheduling processes and involving staff to create solutions can help you eliminate bottlenecks that affect efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Sometimes all it takes to improve patient flow is to have the right products on hand. Learn about the newest member of the patient comfort line: Pain Ease Single Patient Package.

Download the Pain Ease Single Patient Package FAQ