Fast-Track Registration: A Way to Increase Efficiency in the IR Division

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Healthcare Operations
• Patient Flow Management

Background:

• Patient registration is a critical component of healthcare delivery.
• Inefficiencies in the registration process can lead to prolonged patient stays and delayed procedures.
• Optimizing patient flow is essential for improving departmental efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of relocating patient registration from the waiting room to the vascular holding area.
• To determine if this change reduced overall patient time within the Radiology Department.
• To evaluate improvements in procedure start times following the registration process modification.

Main Methods:

• A data collection sheet was utilized to record patient-related process timestamps.
• A control group (33 patients) underwent traditional registration.
• A fast-track group (29 patients) were registered by nurses in the vascular holding area, bypassing traditional procedures.

Main Results:

• Total patient time decreased significantly from an average of 215 minutes to 178 minutes (P = .020).
• Average procedure start time improved from 63 minutes past the scheduled time to 33 minutes past (P = .009).
• Variability in start time, recovery time, and total time also significantly decreased.

Conclusions:

• Fast-track registration for outpatient procedures, such as subcutaneous port placement, enhances efficiency.
• The implemented process improves procedure start times and reduces total patient time in the hospital.
• This strategy effectively minimizes process variability, leading to more predictable patient throughput.