Program evaluation and healthcare process improvement focused on complex wheelchair procurement

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Healthcare Operations Management
• Medical Device Logistics

Background:

• Specialty wheelchair (WC) seating center operations significantly impact the evaluation to delivery timeframe for complex rehab technology (CRT) WCs.
• Inefficiencies in workflow can lead to prolonged waiting periods for patients requiring CRT WCs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a departmental process improvement (PI) project on the evaluation to delivery timeframe for CRT WCs.
• To determine if specific interventions could reduce the time from initial evaluation to final WC delivery.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart audit was conducted, collecting baseline data on the evaluation to delivery timeframe for 50 individuals prior to PI implementation.
• Post-PI data was collected for 745 individuals under a standardized departmental workflow.
• Interventions included stakeholder education, EMR revisions, supplier meetings, and paperwork centralization from March 2017 to April 2018.

Main Results:

• The mean evaluation to delivery timeframe decreased significantly from 162.2 days pre-intervention to 127.4 days post-intervention (p < 0.0001).
• This represents an overall reduction of 21.5%, or 34.8 days, in the mean timeframe.
• The PI project successfully shortened the time for patients to receive their CRT WCs.

Conclusions:

• Departmental process improvement initiatives can effectively reduce the evaluation to delivery timeframe for CRT WCs.
• Systematic changes require time and commitment from all stakeholders for successful implementation.
• Optimized workflows enhance patient access to essential mobility devices.