Sleep Faster! (Somebody else needs your blanket…)

References

[1]  Council of Australian Governments. Communique Attachment A. Heads of Agreement – National Health Reform, 13 February 2011. Canberra: COAG; 2011. Available at http://www.coag.gov.au/coag_meeting_outcomes/2011-02-13/docs/communique_attachmentA-heads_of_agreement-national_health_reform_signatures.pdf [verified 21 September 2011].

[2]  Department of Health and Ageing. Expert panel review of elective surgery and emergency department and emergency access targets under the National Partnership Agreement on Improving Public Hospital Services. Section 3: The Way Forward – Emergency Departments. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2011. Available at http://www.yourhealth.gov.au/internet/yourhealth/publishing.nsf/Content/Expert-Panel-Report~Section-3 [verified 27 September 2011].

[3]  Lansley A. Letter. London: Department of Health. 2010. Available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_116917.pdf [verified 15 April 2011].

[4]  Kim CS, Spahlinger DA, Kin JM, Billi JE. Lean health care: what can hospitals learn from a world-class automaker? J Hosp Med 2006; 1 191–9.
| Lean health care: what can hospitals learn from a world-class automaker?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17219493PubMed |

[5]  World Health Organization. International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems. 10th ed. Geneva: WHO; 2010.Available at http://www.who.int/classifications/help/icdfaq/en/index.html [verified].

[6]  Litvak E, editor. Managing patient flow in hospitals: strategies and solutions. 2nd ed. Oakbrook Terrace: Joint Commission Resources; 2009.

[7]  Royal College of Nursing. A&E nurses put under pressure to meet 4 hour target. Cardiff: RCN; 2008. Available at http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/press_releases/uk/a_and_e_nurses_under_pressure_to_meet_four_hour_target [verified 28 April 2011].

[8]  Smith R. Hospital ‘bent the rules’ on 4 hour A&E target. The Telegraph, 4 March 2010.

[9]  Australian Medical Association Western Australia (AMA (WA)). 4-hour rule survey results. Perth: AMA (WA). August 2011.

[10]  Jones R. Hospital bed occupancy demystified. BJHM 2011; 17 242–8.

[11]  McCarthy S. ACEM position on a time‐based access target in Australian and New Zealand EDs. Emerg Med Australas 2010; 22 379–83.
| ACEM position on a time‐based access target in Australian and New Zealand EDs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21040481PubMed |

[12]  Litvak E, Long MC, Cooper AB, McManus ML. Emergency room diversion: causes and solutions. Acad Emerg Med 2001; 8 1108–10.
| 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3Mnmt1emuw%3D%3D&md5=877f1350faf5d6bd09654f698b438510CAS | 11691678PubMed |

[13]  Forero R, Hillman K. Access block and overcrowding. A literature review. Melbourne: ACEM; 2008. Available at www.acem.org.au/media/media_releases/Access_Block_Literature_Review_08_Sept_3.pdf [verified 20 April 2011].

[14]  Institute of Medicine. Hospital-based emergency care: at the breaking point. Washington: The National Academies Press; 2007. Available at http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11621&page=1 [verified 20 April 2011].

[15]  Cooke MW, Wilson S, Halsall J, Roalfe A. Total time in English accident and emergency departments is related to bed occupancy. Emerg Med J 2004; 21 575–6.
| Total time in English accident and emergency departments is related to bed occupancy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2cvivVSgsQ%3D%3D&md5=b8b568d7d6c09a8a322d3cc82c385436CAS | 15333534PubMed |

[16]  Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australian hospital statistics 1998–99. AIHW Cat. no. HSE 11. Canberra: AIHW (Health Services Series no. 15).

[17]  Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s health 2010. Australia’s health series no. 12. Cat. no. AUS 122. Canberra: AIHW; 2010.

[18]  Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA). The State of Our Public Hospitals, June 2005 Report. Canberra: DOHA; 2005. Available at www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/00CF6462AB37F6B6CA257029001C1460/$File/sooph05report.pdf [verified 21 September 2011].

[19]  Taylor C, Benger JR. Patient satisfaction in emergency medicine. Emerg Med J 2004; 21 528–32.
| Patient satisfaction in emergency medicine.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2cvivVShsg%3D%3D&md5=9f5265a594306557bc82d16f585f7089CAS | 15333521PubMed |

[20]  Sprivulis PC, Da Silva J-A, Jacobs IG, Frazer AR, Jelinek GA. The association between hospital overcrowding and mortality among patients admitted via Western Australian emergency departments. Med J Aust 2006; 184 208–12.
| 16515429PubMed |

[21]  Department of Health. 4-hour rule performance quarterly report. April to June 2011. Perth: Department of Health (WA); 2011.

[22]  National Audit Office. Improving emergency care in England – report by the controller and auditor general HC 1075 Session 2003–2004: 13 October 2004. www.nao.org.uk/publications/0304/improving_emergency_care_in_en.aspx?alreadysearchfor=yes [Verified 21 October 2011].

[23]  Healthcare Commission. Investigation into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection March 2009. Available at www.parliament.uk/deposits/depositedpapers/2009/DEP2009-0861.pdf [Verified 21 October 2011].

[24]  Jones P, Schimanski K. The four hour target to reduce emergency department ‘waiting time’: a systematic review of clinical outcomes. Emerg Med Australas 2010; 22 391–8.
| The four hour target to reduce emergency department ‘waiting time’: a systematic review of clinical outcomes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20880296PubMed |

[25]  Mayhew L, Smith D. Using queuing theory to analyse the government’s 4-h completion time target in accident and emergency departments. Health Care Manage Sci 2008; 11 11–21.
| Using queuing theory to analyse the government’s 4-h completion time target in accident and emergency departments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD1c3jtlCnsQ%3D%3D&md5=736cc9014ba23e3cbd16fb76383dd414CAS |

[26]  Rawlinson N. Harms of target driven healthcare. BMJ 2008; 337 237
| Harms of target driven healthcare.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[27]  Locker TE, Mason SM. Analysis of the distribution of time that patients spend in emergency departments. BMJ 2005; 330 1188–9.
| Analysis of the distribution of time that patients spend in emergency departments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15843426PubMed |

[28]  Needleman J, Buerhaus P, Pankratz VS, Leibson CL, Stevens SR, Harris M. Nurse staffing and inpatient hospital mortality. New England J of Medicine 2011; 364 1037–45.
| Nurse staffing and inpatient hospital mortality.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXjtlSlsbg%3D&md5=71656adb3907a030433f472677bd5394CAS |

[29]  Daly K, Beale R, Chang RW. Reduction in mortality after inappropriate early discharge from intensive care unit: logistic regression triage model. BMJ 2001; 322 1274–6.
| Reduction in mortality after inappropriate early discharge from intensive care unit: logistic regression triage model.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M3pt1elsw%3D%3D&md5=9f38dc6fa41462bede622b9ba7a926fcCAS | 11375229PubMed |

[30]  Litvak E, Pronovost P. Rethinking rapid response teams. JAMA 2010; 304 1375–6.
| Rethinking rapid response teams.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXht1Sjur7E&md5=b0ad7ba126a19054cfcd18da7f5b9036CAS | 20858881PubMed |

[31]  National Health Service. Reforming urgent and emergency care performance assessment. 18 July 2011. London: NHS; 2011. Available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Urgentandemergencycare/DH_121239 [verified 20 May 2011].

[32]  Ryckman FC, Adler E, Anneken AM, Bedinghaus C, Clayton PJ, Hays KR, et al. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center: redesigning perioperative flow using operations management tools to improve access and safety. In: Litvak E, editor. Managing patient flow in hospitals: strategies and solutions. 2nd ed. Oakbrook Terrace (IL): Joint Commission Resources; 2009. pp. 103–11.

[33]  Litvak E, Vaswani SG, Long MC, Prenney B. Managing variability in healthcare delivery. In: Yong PL, Olsen LA, editors. Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine; Institute of Medicine. The Healthcare Imperative: Lowering Costs and Improving Outcomes: Workshop Series Summary. Whaington DC: National Academies Press 2010. pp 294–301.

[34]  Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Sloane DM, Sochalski J, Silber JH. Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 2002; 288 1987–93.
| Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[35]  Litvak E, Buerhaus P, Davidoff F, Long MC, McManus ML, Berwick DM. Managing unnecessary variability in patient demand to reduce nursing stress and improve patient safety. J Qual Patient Saf 2005; 31 330–8.

[36]  McManus ML, Long M, Cooper A, Mandell J, Berwick D, Pagano M, Litvak E. Variability in surgical caseload and access to intensive care services. Anesthesiology 2003; 98 1491–6.
| Variability in surgical caseload and access to intensive care services.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12766663PubMed |

[37]  Baker DR, Pronovost PJ, Morlock LL, Geocadin RG, Holzmueller CG. Patient flow variability and unplanned readmissions to an intensive care unit. Crit Care Med 2009; 37 2882–7.
| Patient flow variability and unplanned readmissions to an intensive care unit.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19866504PubMed |

[38]  Allen S. Busy Boston Medical Center eases delays by keeping ‘customers’ moving. The Boston Globe, 8 July 2004.

[39]  Allen S. No waiting: a simple prescription that could dramatically improve hospitals – and American health care. The Boston Globe, 30 August 2009.

[40]  Litvak E, Bisognano M. More patients less payment. Health Aff 2011; 30 76–80.
| More patients less payment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[41]  Rathlev NK, Chessare J, Olshaker J, Obendorfer D, Mehta SD, Rothenhaus T, et al Time series analysis of variables associated with daily mean emergency department length of stay. Ann Emerg Med 2007; 49 265–71. [Published online 16 January 2007].
| Time series analysis of variables associated with daily mean emergency department length of stay.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17224203PubMed |

[42]  Nasr A, Reichardt K, Fitzgerald K, Arumugusamy M, Keeling P, Walsh TN. Impact of emergency admissions on elective surgical workload. Ir J Med Sci 2004; 173 133–5.
| Impact of emergency admissions on elective surgical workload.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2M%2FmsVOlsw%3D%3D&md5=f986a39aae94f6555b15e2e2f7e45846CAS | 15693381PubMed |

[43]  Wanless D, Appleby J, Harrison ADP. Summary of NHS funding and performance since 2002. In: Walker I, Grise E, editors. A review of NHS funding and performance. London: Kings Fund; 2007. Available at http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/current_projects/health_care_spending_review/ [verified 21 October 2011].

[44]  Department of Health. Hospital admission risk program. Melbourne: Department of Health; 2011. Available at http://www.health.vic.gov.au/harp/about.htm [verified 25 October 2011].

[45]  California HealthCare Foundation. Frequent users of health services initiative. Oakland: California HealthCare Foundation; 2012. Available at http://www.chcf.org/projects/2008/frequent-users-of-health-services-initiative [verified 10 November 2011].

[46]  Gawande A. The Hot Spotters. New Yorker 2011; 86 41

[47]  Scott IA. Public hospital bed crisis: too few or too misused? Aust Health Rev 2010; 34 317–24.
| Public hospital bed crisis: too few or too misused?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20797364PubMed |

[48]  Frank LD, Andresen MA, Schmid TL. Obesity relationships with community design, physical activity, and time spent in cars. Am J Prev Med 2004; 27 87–96.
| Obesity relationships with community design, physical activity, and time spent in cars.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15261894PubMed |

[49]  Brownell KD, Frieden TR. Ounces of Prevention — The Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared Beverages. N Engl J Med 2009; 360 1805–8.
| Ounces of Prevention — The Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared Beverages.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXlsVGmtro%3D&md5=c4e983aa16fb11fd9b307cf9b408d94eCAS | 19357400PubMed |

[50]  Forero R, McDonnell GD, McCarthy SM, Nugus PR, Braithwaite J, Hillman KM. Lessons from the 4-hour standard in England for Australia [letter]. Med J Aust 2011; 194 268
| 21382006PubMed |