A 12-month targeted initiative to discharge surgical patients earlier was associated with a 50% increase in patients being discharged by noon in this study.
The initiative, which included preoperative and inpatient components:
increased discharge by noon rates from 14.3% to 21.5%
decreased length of stay (LOS) from 2.17 to 2.02 days
significantly lowered ED, PACU, and ICU boarding times.
