Failure Mode and Effect Analysis in Increasing the Revenue of Emergency Department

Introduction: Successful performance of emergency department(ED) is one of the important indications of increasing the satisfaction among referees. The insurance of such successful performance is fiscal discipline and avoiding from non-beneficial activities in this department. Therefore, the increasing revenue of emergency department is one of the interested goals of hospital management system. According to above-mentioned, the researchers assessed problems lead to loss the revenue of ED and eliminate them by using failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). Methods: This was the prospective cohort study performed during 18 months, set in 6 phases. In the first phase, the failures were determined and some solutions suggested to eliminate them. During 2-5 phases, based on the prioritizing the problems, solutions were performed. In the sixth phase, final assessment of the study was done. Finally, the feedback of system’s revenue was evaluated and data analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA. Results: Lack of recording the consuming instrument and attribution of separate codes for emergency services of hospitalized patients were the most important failures that lead to decrease the revenue of ED. Such elimination caused to 75.9% increase in revenue within a month (df = 1.6; F = 84.0; p<0.0001).  Totally, 18 months following the eliminating of failures caused to 328.2% increase in the revenue of ED (df = 15.9; F = 215; p<0.0001). Conclusion: The findings of the present study shows that failure mode and effect analysis, can be used as a safe and effected method to reduce the expenses of ED and increase its revenue.