SAEMF/ED Benchmarking Alliance Clinical Operations Research Grant - $50,000
"Classifying Pediatric Emergency Department Resource Use for Split Flow Operational Improvements"
A primary reason pediatric emergency departments (PED) have become increasingly crowded is due to inefficient flow processes. PEDs queue Emergency Severity Index (ESI) 3 patients in a first-in first-out pattern, despite some patients only requiring a few resources and some requiring many. This has led patients who could otherwise be treated and quickly discharged to instead wait for long periods of time and potentially leave without being seen (LWBS). ESI-3 patients who LWBS face a significant risk of medical deterioration; 30% of ESI 3 patients who returned to our institution within 12 hours of LWBS being hospitalized and 6% requiring intensive care. In this study, we propose an innovative vertical split flow (VSF) process for ESI 3 PED patients to help inform flow improvements and reduce high LWBS rates.
Recipient(s)
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Brandon Kappy, MD, MPP
Children's National Hospital
"Classifying Pediatric Emergency Department Resource Use for Split Flow Operational Improvements"
Brandon Kappy, MD, MPP, is an assistant professor of pediatric emergency medicine and operations researcher at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School followed by a pediatrics residency at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Kappy then pursued a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Children's National Hospital. In addition to his medical training, Dr. Kappy holds a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration at the George Washington School of Business.
Dr. Kappy's research integrates data analytics with clinical operations to identify and address care delays in the pediatric emergency department. His work involves developing machine learning prediction models, patient flow simulations, and conducting large database analyses to enhance patient throughput.
As the recipient of the SAEMF/ED Benchmarking Alliance Clinical Operations Research Grant, Dr. Kappy is developing innovative, machine learning-based classifications of emergency department patient resource utilization to trial a streamlined split-flow patient care process.