Reducing the Length of Stay by Enhancing the Patient Discharge Process: Using Quality Improvement Tools to Optimize Hospital Efficiency

Introduction Delays in the discharging process can affect hospital efficiency. Improving patient flow in acute care hospitals is an essential issue that hospital management and research aim to achieve. Admission volume and LOS for hospitalized patients in the medical specialties department was examined at a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to explore practical approaches to reduce the LOS. We aimed to identify and manage reasons for the delay in discharging patients from the medical specialties department at a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia. Methods Admission and discharge data for hospitalized patients were collected from 2016–2018. In 2017, a FOCUS (find, organize, clarify, understand, select)–PDSA (plan, do, study, act) quality improvement method was used to improve the discharge processes, with specific measurable targets per year. The number of readmissions and mortality rates decreased significantly after the intervention was implemented, suggesting an improvement in the quality of treatment and the process of admission and discharge. Results Despite gradual increases in admissions from 2016 to 2018, the mean LOS decreased significantly between 2016 and 2018, from 9.16 to 7.47 days (p < 0.001). The number of readmissions and mortality rates decreased after the intervention was implemented in 2017, suggesting an improvement in the process of admission and discharge. Conclusion The LOS can be reduced by implementing a quality improvement intervention, driven by a multidisciplinary committee involving healthcare personnel, to facilitate the optimal discharge mechanism through available hospital resources and services.