Southern Trust Emergency Department: Reducing Time to Find ED Equipment by Over 80%

Institution: Southern Health and Social Care Trust

Department: Emergency Medicine

Project Leads: Dr. Angela Cullen & Dr. Cara McCarthy

Presentation Venue: Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM)

Problem Addressed: Delays and stress due to difficulty locating equipment in Emergency Department

Tool Introduced: Eolas Medical app

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The Core Problem

A common phrase heard too often in the ED:

“Does anyone know where I would find the…?”

Locating essential equipment quickly is vital for safe and efficient emergency care. The existing system suffered from:

• Disorganisation and inconsistent storage

• High cognitive and time burden on staff

• Disruption to patient care and staff morale

• Additional risks to infection control

Despite their best efforts, staff were spending a significant proportion of their shift simply searching for equipment.

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The Evidence

A multi-phase “ED Treasure Hunt” audit was conducted:

• September 2021: Baseline time tracking during routine tasks

• September 2022: Repeat analysis with introduction of the Eolas Medical app

Key Findings:

• In 2021, staff spent 41% of patient assessment time locating equipment

• On initial timed attempts, it took 74 minutes to locate a set list of items

• With repetition, this dropped to 23 minutes, showing potential for training

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The Intervention

The Eolas Medical App was enhanced with a searchable, structured map of the Emergency Department’s equipment locations:

• ED catalogued using a grid system (columns A–Z, rows 1–30)

• Equipment linked to grid references in the app

• Available on both phones and desktops

• Updated to accommodate frequent departmental changes

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In 2022, with Eolas Medical App available:

Without the App - 52 minutes

Using Eolas Medical App - 10 minutes

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80% reduction in time spent locating equipment

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Benefits Observed

Massive Efficiency Gains

• 5x faster equipment retrieval

• Reduced interruptions to patient care

• Time saved translates to more clinician–patient interaction

Improved Patient Safety & Flow

• Faster access to critical tools reduces delays in emergency interventions

• Less cognitive overhead improves focus on decision-making

Staff Morale & Burnout Relief

• Less frustration and confusion, especially for rotating/new staff

• Reduces onboarding friction during busy periods

• Addresses WHO’s standards of timely, equitable, and efficient healthcare

Key Takeaways

• Time wasted finding equipment is a universal issue in Emergency Medicine.

• Introducing a structured, searchable interface via the Eolas Medical App proved transformative.

• This initiative offers a scalable, low-burden solution with high impact — enhancing patient care, staff wellbeing, and departmental efficiency.

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