5 Proven Strategies to Boost Patient Throughput and Cut Wait Times

Streamlining ED Throughput: How Smarter Communication Drives Faster, Safer Care 

Emergency departments are facing mounting pressure. The average ED patient in the U.S. waits over 90 minutes to be roomed and nearly two hours to be discharged. Even more concerning, the number of patients leaving without being seen (LWBS) has doubled in recent years—often due to delays caused by inefficient communication. 

After triage, patients rely on coordinated care from nurses, techs, providers, and ancillary departments like radiology, labs, and case management. But when communication is fragmented—spread across pagers, answering services, and siloed systems—care slows down, throughput suffers, and patient outcomes decline. 

The Communication Bottleneck 

Outdated communication methods create one-to-one, trial-and-error workflows. Providers waste time tracking down the right contact, navigating inaccurate schedules, and waiting for callbacks. These delays compound across departments, leading to overcrowded EDs, increased labor costs, and lost revenue. 

To solve this, hospitals need a modern, integrated approach to clinical communication. 

5 Ways TigerConnect Improves ED Patient Throughput

1. Real-Time Collaboration Across Care Teams 

TigerConnect enables secure, real-time messaging, voice, and video communication between ED staff and consults, labs, radiology, and pharmacy. Priority messaging and read receipts help teams act quickly and reduce delays in clinical decision-making. 

2. Seamless Care Transitions 

Whether transferring a patient to inpatient care, another ED, or back to their primary provider, TigerConnect ensures smooth handoffs. Intelligent routing and real-time alerts keep care teams informed and aligned, reducing wait times and improving continuity of care. 

3. Role-Based Messaging for Faster Response 

TigerConnect Roles and Teams lets staff contact the right person instantly—without searching schedules or directories. Predefined roles and teams can be mobilized for emergencies or transfers, streamlining coordination and eliminating reliance on pagers or overhead systems. 

4. Escalation to Prevent Communication Gaps 

If a message goes unanswered, TigerConnect automatically escalates it to the next available role. This ensures critical updates are received and acted on, minimizing delays and keeping patient care moving forward. 

5. Secure, Compliant Communication 

TigerConnect is HIPAA-compliant and HITRUST-certified, supporting secure communication across mobile and desktop devices. Care teams can share patient updates, coordinate care, and even engage patients and families—all from a single platform. 

Ready to Improve ED Throughput?

TigerConnect helps hospitals move patients through the ED faster, reduce delays, and improve care coordination. Download the ebook to learn how your organization can streamline workflows and speed clinical decisions with TigerConnect.