Patient Transport Inefficiencies at American University of Beirut Medical Center
The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) case study reveals significant
inefficiencies in the patient transport system that are negatively impacting patient care,
satisfaction, and operational effectiveness. These persistent issues have become a serious
concern for the medical center which aims to be a leading healthcare provider in Lebanon and
the region through its "2020 Vision."
Core Patient Transport Problems
1. Excessive Wait Times and Delayed Care
The case study opens with a disturbing incident that exemplifies the central problem: a patient in
urgent need of a CT scan was forced to wait over an hour for transportation, resulting in an angry
family member threatening to sue the hospital for malpractice. Despite AUBMC being a relatively
modest-sized 350-bed medical center, the patient transport system regularly fails to respond
promptly to urgent requests. This raises serious questions about how five dedicated patient
transport teams could be simultaneously unavailable for such extended periods.
2. Resource Allocation and Management Deficiencies
The case suggests a fundamental disconnect between available resources and their effective
utilization. Clinical and Patient Affairs Coordinator Arwa Bou Ali directly questioned: "How could
there be no porters to accommodate all the requests when we have five patient transport teams
spread around the medical center?". This indicates either insufficient staffing or, more likely, poor
management of the existing transport personnel. The situation prompted Bou Ali to wonder
whether the issue stemmed from "a lack of resources or a simple case of mismanagement".
3. Communication and Coordination Failures
During her investigation, Bou Ali identified several operational inefficiencies in the transport
system. Staff complained about "double bookings" - situations where porters would arrive only to
find someone else had already transported the patient. This demonstrated poor communication
and coordination between transport teams and nursing units. Additionally, staff reported
numerous transport requests that went completely unattended, indicating system-wide failures in
request tracking and accountability.
4. Resource Mismanagement or Inefficient Allocation:
Despite having five patient transport teams, there were often no porters available to handle urgent
requests. This raised concerns about whether the issue was due to a lack of resources or simply
mismanagement and inefficient deployment of existing staff.
5. Lastly, these operational inefficiencies have a direct negative impact on both patient and staff
satisfaction. Patients and their families become dissatisfied when their care is delayed or when
they perceive the hospital as disorganized. Similarly, hospital staff-including nurses and transport
personnel-experience frustration and decreased morale when they are unable to perform their
duties effectively or when their efforts are duplicated unnecessarily. Over time, this can erode the
hospital’s reputation for quality care and may even affect staff retention and engagement.