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Improving Care Continuity in Oncology Settings: A Lean Management Approach to Minimize Discharges Without Follow-Up
Shinnona Hamed AlHarthy1, Omar Ayaad2, Al Ameer Ahmed Al Mashari1
1Admission, Discharge, and Transfer Office, Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Centre (SQCCCRC), Muscat, Oman.
Objective:
This study aimed to reduce the number of patients discharged without scheduled follow-up appointments by implementing lean management principles.
Methods:
Conducted at the Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Center in Muscat, Oman, the research utilized a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design to evaluate the impact of lean management interventions on the rate of patient discharges without follow-up appointments. Strategies such as the Kaizen principle, Gemba Walks, cross-functional collaboration, standard work procedures, and waste reduction were employed to enhance operational efficiency.
Results:
Spanning from Quarter 3 of 2022 to Quarter 2 of 2023, the study demonstrated a significant decrease in the percentage of patients discharged without planned follow-up appointments. The rate dropped from 9% in September 2022 to 0% in March 2023, with statistically significant differences observed (X2= 65.05, p value=<.0001).
Conclusion:
By effectively implementing lean management principles, this research successfully enhanced care continuity for oncology patients after being discharged.
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