Improving access for Urgent patients in Paediatric Neurology

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Healthcare Management
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Outpatient care requires efficient referral and flow management for timely patient access.
• Lack of a standardized pathway for urgent pediatric neurology referrals led to significant wait time variations (2-11 weeks).
• Only 25% of urgent patients were seen within the desired 2-week timeframe.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a consistent triage system for identifying and managing urgent pediatric neurology referrals.
• To reduce wait times for urgent patient appointments.
• To improve the overall quality of care and patient satisfaction through enhanced access.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Quality Improvement framework with three Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.
• Implemented an urgent triage system, direct booking using clinic cancellations, and double appointment notifications.
• Monitored wait times for urgent patients and routine appointment availability as a balancing measure.

Main Results:

• The percentage of urgent patients seen within 2 weeks increased from 25% to 80% after the third PDSA cycle.
• Routine appointment availability remained stable, indicating no negative impact on non-urgent care access.
• The new system was successfully scaled across multiple clinics.

Conclusions:

• A well-managed triage system can significantly improve access for urgent pediatric neurology patients.
• Enhanced access for urgent cases improves patient satisfaction and clinic attendance rates.
• Quality improvement initiatives in referral management can optimize healthcare delivery without compromising routine care.