Improving ‘needless’ waits in an obstetric ER: implementing an obstetric triage system in a tertiary hospital in Ghana (CARE DELIVERY AND PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT)

Improving ‘needless’ waits in an obstetric ER: implementing an obstetric triage system in a tertiary hospital in Ghana (CARE DELIVERY AND PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT)

obstetrics triaging, quality improvement, waiting time, delay in seeking care, leadership

a significant contributor to maternal mortalities. Obstetric triaging allows the prioritization of care based on patient acuity. This allows orderly
access to care and reduces delays in the health facility.
Methods: This study was a quality improvement project that set out to establish an obstetric triaging system in the Department of Obstetrics
and Gynaecology of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) starting in December 2016, and assess its impact primarily on the pre-implementation
waiting time of 4.2 h, 1 year on after implementation. The project was scheduled in phases which included training, development of an Obstetric
Emergency System, development of process maps, and reorganization of care, infrastructural works all culminating in the establishment of a
Triage System.
Results: Results from data collected 1 year on showed an average reduction in waiting time from 4.2 h (252 min) to an average of 138.8 min.
Conclusions: Triaging has helped to improve the timeliness and has added a patient-centered approach to care offered in the Obstetric
Emergency of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Frederick Oduro, Elom Hillary Otchi, Jerry Coleman, Joyce Dodoo, and Emmanuel Srofenyoh

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/ijcoms/lyac002

Oxford University Press

11 April 2022

Sri Wahyuni

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