Patient Flow (Inpatient)

Movement of patients within a facility (hospital), from entry point to exit, encompassing all activities and transitions, influenced by both hospital-based workflows and external factors.

Patient flow improvement relates to a hospital-wide data-driven focus on improving effective, safe and efficient patient flow from any entry point to exit.

Patient flow improvement teams typically are a formalized multidisciplinary group dedicated to continuous patient flow improvement within a hospital, with authority to apply strategies that collaboratively address recurring patient flow challenges.