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

BMJ Open Quality

article

Bayardo Garay¹  Denise Erlanson²  Bryce A Binstadt³  Colleen K Correll³  Nora Fitzsimmons²  Patricia M Hobday³  Allison Hudson²  Shawn Mahmud⁴  Mona M Riskalla³  Sara Kramer³  Sheng Xiong²  Richard K Vehe³  Danielle R Bullock³ 

[1] Medical Scientist Training Program , University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities;Pediatrics , University of Minnesota Physicians;Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology , University of Minnesota Health;Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program & Pediatric Physician Scientist Training Program , University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities

关键词: ambulatory care;    paediatrics;    quality improvement;   

DOI  :  10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001550

学科分类：药学

来源: BMJ Publishing Group

【 摘 要 】

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.ambulatory carepaediatricsquality improvementData availability statementNo data are available. Deidentified participant data were used in this study. Data are not in a repository and are not available for reuse.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC|CC BY|CC BY-NC-ND