Evidence-based Guidelines Help Reduce Delays at Hospital

Regions Hospital, a 427-bed facility in St. Paul, Minn., faced a growing problem in the fall of 2007: A spike in facility delays related to therapy consults, which was costing the hospital precious resources and keeping patients in the acute setting longer than necessary. To help reduce the delays, Regions turned to the Milliman Care Guidelines^® to ensure consistent, high-quality care for patients.

After implementing the Care Guidelines, the average length of stay at Regions dropped to 4.34 days by August 2008, down from 4.73 days four years earlier. Meanwhile, the hospital reported more than 1,000 days saved in 2008—a common industry measure of cost savings—up from 628 in 2004. Each day saved reduces hospital costs by about $500, so these efforts saved Regions more than $500,000 in 2008 alone.

Click on the download link at right to learn how Regions Hospital reduced delays while ensuring consistent, high-quality care for patients.