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Combining benchmarking with other quality tools to achieve breakthroughs in admitting
B Covey1, J H DeVecchio, L Mitchell
1St Joseph's Medical Center, Stockton, CA 95204.
The Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement
|October 1, 1994
Summary
St Joseph's Regional Health System improved patient preverification rates from 2% to 70% by implementing an electronic system. This initiative streamlined the admissions process, enhancing patient experience and operational efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Administration
- Process Improvement
- Health Informatics
Background:
- A cross-industry benchmarking study recommended completing hospital admissions processes prior to patient arrival.
- St Joseph's Regional Health System initiated three team efforts to implement this best practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To improve the insurance preverification process for scheduled patients.
- To redesign the admissions and registration processes for enhanced efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Cross-training staff for insurance preverification.
- Piloting an electronic, on-line preverification system.
- Exploring and recommending an integrated on-line system for demographic and clinical information.
Main Results:
- Increased the preverification rate from 2% to 70% for scheduled patients.
- Reduced the number of patient registration forms from eight to one.
- Initiated implementation of express admitting and centralized scheduling.
Conclusions:
- Organizations should analyze current processes and collect data to set improvement goals.
- Prepare for potential changes in job functions and resource allocation when implementing best practices.
- Benchmarking studies offer valuable recommendations for healthcare system improvements.