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

Area of Science:

• Oncology Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Process Improvement

Background:

• High-volume academic outpatient oncology infusion units face challenges in optimizing patient flow.
• Inefficient workflows can lead to increased patient wait times and reduced value-added care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To streamline the workflow from patient arrival to premedication in an oncology infusion unit.
• To decrease patient wait times and increase value through process optimization.
• To identify and eliminate waste in patient flow within an academic cancer center.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) method and Lean Methodology for process improvement.
• Focused on a defined subset of patient experiences in an outpatient oncology infusion unit.
• Collected and tracked patient wait times using value stream and control charts over a 5-month period.

Main Results:

• Mean patient arrival to premedication start time decreased by 17 minutes (from 77 to 60 minutes).
• Value stream analysis showed a reduction of two patient touch points.
• Value-added time increased by 17% postimplementation.

Conclusions:

• The PDCA tool effectively identified opportunities to reduce waste and streamline patient care.
• Systematic process improvements led to significant reductions in patient wait times.
• The study demonstrated enhanced value-added time during the patient treatment cycle.