scholarly journals Decreasing Laboratory Turnaround Time and Patient Wait Time by Implementing Process Improvement Methodologies in an Outpatient Oncology Infusion Unit

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 380-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren N. Gjolaj ◽  
Gloria A. Gari ◽  
Angela I. Olier-Pino ◽  
Juan D. Garcia ◽  
Gustavo L. Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Wait Time ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Comprehensive Treatment ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Patient Wait Time ◽  
Improvement Methodologies

Streamlining workflows and placing a phlebotomy station inside of the Comprehensive Treatment Unit (CTU) decreased laboratory turnaround times by 53% for patients who required same-day laboratory and CTU services.

scholarly journals Using quality improvement methodology and tools to reduce patient wait time in a paediatric subspecialty rheumatology clinic

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e001550
Author(s):  
Bayardo Garay ◽  
Denise Erlanson ◽  
Bryce A Binstadt ◽  
Colleen K Correll ◽  
Nora Fitzsimmons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Wait Time ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
The Body ◽  
Ambulatory Setting ◽  
Rheumatology Clinic ◽  
Physician Contact ◽  
Day Of The Week ◽  
Patient Wait Time

Our paediatric rheumatology clinic has experienced inefficient patient flow. Our aim was to reduce mean wait time and minimise variation for patients. Baseline data showed that most waiting occurs after a patient has been roomed, while waiting for the physician. Wait time was not associated with a patient’s age, time of day, day of the week or individual physician. We implemented a checkout sheet and staggered start times. After a series of plan–do–study–act cycles, we observed an initial 26% reduction in the variation of wait time and a final 17% reduction in the mean wait time. There was no impact on patient–physician contact time. Overall, we demonstrate how process improvement methodology and tools were used to reduce patient wait time in our clinic, adding to the body of literature on process improvement in an ambulatory setting.

Delivering Patient Value by Using Process Improvement Tools to Decrease Patient Wait Time in an Outpatient Oncology Infusion Unit

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. e95-e100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren N. Gjolaj ◽  
Gloria G. Campos ◽  
Angela I. Olier-Pino ◽  
Gustavo L. Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Wait Time ◽  
Patient Wait Time ◽  
Patient Value

By using the systematic PDCA tool, the authors were able to identify opportunities to reduce waste in the system and streamline patient care.

scholarly journals Behind the clock: elucidating factors contributing to longer clinic appointment duration and patient wait time

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Jonathan Kagedan ◽  
Stephen B. Edge ◽  
Kazuaki Takabe
Keyword(s):  
Wait Time ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Advanced Practice ◽  
Single Institution ◽  
Clinic Appointment ◽  
Nurse Assessment ◽  
Patient Wait Time ◽  
Encounter Time ◽  
Examination Room

Abstract Background Longer wait time in ambulatory clinics can disrupt schedules and decrease satisfaction. We investigated factors associated with patient wait time (WT, check-in to examination room placement), approximate clinician time (ACT, completion of nurse assessment to check-out), and total appointment length (TAL, check-in to check-out). Methods A single-institution retrospective study was conducted of breast surgery clinic patients, 2017–2019, using actual encounter times. A before/after analysis compared a five-day 8 hour/day (from a four-day 10 hour/day) advanced practice provider (APP) work-week. Non-parametric tests were used, and medians with interquartile ranges (IQRs) reported. Results 15,265 encounters were identified. Overall WT was 15.0 minutes (IQR:6.0–32.0), ACT 49.0 minutes (IQR:31.0–79.0) and TAL 84.0 minutes (IQR:57.0-124.0). Trainees were associated with 30.0 minutes longer ACT (p < 0.0001); this increased time was greatest for follow-up appointments, least for new patients. Patients arriving > 5 minutes late (versus on-time) experienced shorter WT (11.0 vs. 15.0 minutes, p < 0.0001) and ACT (43.0 vs. 53.0 minutes, p < 0.0001). Busier days (higher encounter volume:APP ratios) demonstrated increased encounter times. After transitioning to a five-day APP work-week, ACT decreased. Conclusions High-volume clinics and trainee involvement prolong ambulatory encounters. Increasing APP assistance, altering work schedules, and assigning follow-up appointments to non-trainees may decrease encounter time.

An Ideation Framework for Service Process Improvement

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Kaner ◽  
Reuven Karni
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Case Based Reasoning ◽  
Process Redesign ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Current State ◽  
Successful Design ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency ◽  
Improvement Methodologies

Service delivery processes play a key role in the competitiveness of modern organizations. Their effectiveness and efficiency are a consequence of successful design of new processes and improvement of existing processes. Improvement methodologies commonly focus on generic steps serving as a road map for moving a process from its current state along a guided path to better performance. However, these methodologies ignore the crucial step of methods for modifying processes, which often necessitate the generation of new improvement alternatives; generally based on “randomized” brainstorming rather than on systematic triggering of new ideas and reusing past improvements. The authors’ framework comprises and integrates 21 goal determinants to be achieved through process redesign, 32 best practices describing possible process modifications, 40 TRIZ inventive principles for generating new improvement ideas, and case-based reasoning (CBR) for retaining and reusing past improvements. This paper illustrates the application of the proposed methodology using an example of an inbound telesales process.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document