AIMS
This study aims to understand how patients move through acute medical services when they require emergency hospital admission. Researchers will identify where delays occur, what factors contribute to those delays, and how services can be improved so that patients receive the right care as quickly as possible.
BACKGROUND
Emergency and urgent care services are under increasing pressure across the NHS. Many patients who attend hospital with medical conditions are assessed through Acute Medical Units and Same Day Emergency Care services before being admitted to hospital or discharged home.
While Emergency Department waiting times are routinely monitored and reported, less is known about delays and patient journeys within acute medical services. Understanding these pathways is important to ensure patients receive timely assessment, treatment, and access to the most appropriate care setting.
Delays in patient flow can affect patient experience, increase pressure on hospital services, and contribute to longer hospital stays. Better understanding of how patients move through acute medical pathways could help identify opportunities to improve care and make more effective use of healthcare resources.
RESEARCH
Using routinely collected hospital data, this study will examine the different routes patients take through acute medical services, including referrals from general practice and Emergency Departments.
Researchers will investigate waiting times, clinical reviews, movement between departments, bed availability, service pressures, and patient characteristics to better understand the factors that influence the speed and quality of care.
The study will identify where delays occur within patient pathways and explore factors associated with those delays. The findings will help inform future service improvements designed to support more efficient patient flow and improve patient experience.
PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
Feedback from patients has highlighted concerns about long waits, repeated moves between assessment areas, and delays in receiving test results and treatment plans.
These experiences have helped shape the research questions and priorities for this study. Patients and members of the public will continue to work with the research team throughout the project, helping to guide future improvements and share the findings with patients, healthcare professionals, and the wider public.
APPROVAL
This project was supported unanimously by the PIONEER Data Trust Committee.
PROJECT LEAD
Dr Vinay Reddy-Kolanu, Consultant in Acute Medicine University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
