Table 4.
Outcome measures for models of the existing system and two proposed system changes, with support from social workers
| Metrics for BHC patients | Model output | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing system | Universal ED screeninga | Universal hospital-wide screeninga | |
| Wait time (hr) | 2.91 ± 0.01 | 3.08 ± 0.01 | 3.49 ± 0.03 |
| Length of stay (hr) | |||
| Overall | 11.28 ± 0.05 | 11.39 ± 0.05 | 11.85 ± 0.06 |
| Admitted patients | 15.58 ± 0.09 | 15.64 ± 0.09 | 16.16 ± 0.08 |
| Boarded patients | 26.38 ± 0.24 | 26.54 ± 0.24 | 26.95 ± 0.24 |
| Discharged patients | 5.17 ± 0.02 | 5.33 ± 0.02 | 5.75 ± 0.03 |
| Unit overflow (day/yr) | 52.90 ± 1.43 | 93.50 ± 1.60 | 266.00 ± 2.02 |
Values are presented as mean ± half-width of 95% confidence interval.
BHC: behavioral health complaint.
a
Social worker performs brief safety assessment. In our initial testing of proposed system changes, we programmed our model to have brief safety assessments performed by psychiatry social workers, responsible for all other behavioral health complaint management in the emergency department. Subsequent pre-implementation planning has proposed the use of emergency department social workers for these brief safety assessments to make sure psychiatry social workers remain available for complete behavioral health evaluations.