585 - Optimising Patient Flow: Mindset, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement for Hospital Leaders

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Paul Deffley and Nick White from Alcidion about their new handbook on improving patient flow within healthcare systems.

The conversation explores why the handbook has been released now, its intended audience, and how its concepts can support leaders and clinicians in enhancing the movement of patients through hospitals.

The discussion examines the current pressures facing hospitals, including rising patient demand, workforce challenges, and system inefficiencies, and considers why traditional approaches to patient flow are no longer sufficient.

Lessons from other industries are explored, highlighting how principles such as systems thinking and Lean methodology can be adapted for healthcare.

The episode emphasises the combination of real-time data, organisational culture, and continuous improvement as central to creating safer, more efficient, and patient-centred hospital systems.

Key Takeaways

✅ Patient flow is more than implementing digital solutions—real change requires cultural and behavioural transformation within health organisations

✅ Real-time, system-wide visibility is critical for effective patient flow management and making data-driven decisions

✅ Adopting approaches from other industries, like Lean principles, must be tailored to the unique clinical and operational environment of healthcare

✅ Measuring a broad range of indicators beyond standard KPIs (e.g., length of stay, outliers, medically ready to discharge) provides better insights and guides improvement

✅ Practical actions like shop floor engagement and prioritising system-wide visibility can drive immediate and meaningful change

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:47 – Who the handbook is for and its purpose

01:33 – Why address patient flow now

02:41 – The importance of system-wide visibility

03:39 – Practical tools from the handbook

05:29 – Comparing healthcare to other industries

07:52 – Customising industry methods for clinical environments

08:57 – Differentiating patient flow discussions from electronic patient records

10:46 – The challenge of demonstrating return on investment in patient flow initiatives

14:30 – Rethinking metrics for measuring success in patient flow

17:27 – Actions health leaders can take today

19:01 – Actionable advice for immediate implementation

20:25 – How to access the handbook

--------

Want to keep the conversation going?

The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article Here

In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech.

If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus.

And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.