• Kuan-Han Wu, Fu-Jen Cheng, Chao-Jui Li, Hsien-Hung Cheng, Wen-Huei Lee, and Chi-Wei Lee.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Niaosong Township, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan.
• Am J Emerg Med. 2013 Mar 1;31(3):535-9.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to develop a strategy for imposing peer pressure on emergency physicians to discharge patients and to evaluate patient throughput before and after intervention.MethodsA before-and-after study was conducted in a medical center with more than 120 000 annual emergency department (ED) visits. All nontraumatic adult patients who presented to the ED between 7:30 and 11:30 am Wednesday to Sunday were reviewed. We created a "team norm" imposed peer-pressure effect by announcing the patient discharge rate of each emergency physician through monthly e-mail reminders. Emergency department length of stay (LOS) and 8-hour (the end of shift) and final disposition of patients before (June 1, 2011-September 30, 2011) and after (October 1, 2011-January 30, 2012) intervention were compared.ResultsPatients enrolled before and after intervention totaled 3305 and 2945. No differences existed for age, sex, or average number of patient visits per shift. The 8-hour discharge rate increased significantly for all patients (53.5% vs 48.2%, P < .001), particularly for triage level III patients (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.38) after intervention and without corresponding differences in the final disposition (P = .165) or admission rate (33.7% vs 31.6%, P = .079). Patients with a final discharge disposition had a shorter LOS (median, 140.4 min vs 158.3 min; P < .001) after intervention.ConclusionsThe intervention strategy used peer pressure to enhance patient flow and throughput. More patients were discharged at the end of shifts, particularly triage level III patients. The ED LOS for patients whose final disposition was discharge decreased significantly.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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