Women at work. Interview by Jill L. Sherer

Area of Science:

• Healthcare administration
• Systems engineering in healthcare

Background:

• Sentara Norfolk General Hospital's Women's Health Pavilion implemented a patient-focused care delivery system in 1991.
• The redesign aimed to improve efficiency and patient outcomes in obstetrical services.

Discussion:

• The study details the results of a system redesign focused on patient-centered care.
• Key performance indicators such as cost, reimbursement, length of stay, patient satisfaction, and laboratory turnaround times were analyzed.

Key Insights:

• Per-case cost decreases for obstetrical services ranged from 0.2% to 26.3%.
• Reimbursement per case increased by 14%, and lengths of stay decreased by 1.1% to 8.4%.
• Employee and patient satisfaction improved, with patient satisfaction increasing up to 11%, and laboratory turnaround times decreased by an average of 30 minutes.

Outlook:

• The successful implementation of patient-focused care redesign demonstrates a viable model for healthcare system improvement.
• Further research could explore the long-term impact and scalability of such redesigns in diverse healthcare settings.