The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA
The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA
3194.0: Monday, November 17, 2003 - Board 5
Abstract #62912
Improving patient access and continuity of care: A successful implementation of open access scheduling
James G. Kodjababian, MBA, ECG Management Consultants, 1111 Third Avenue, Suite 2700, Seattle, WA 98101, (206) 689-2245, jgk@ecgmc.com and Rama Khalsa, PhD, County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, 1080 Emeline Avenue, Building D, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
Learning Objectives:
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This seminar will present an overview of open access scheduling, a proven methodology to improve patient access and provider productivity. At the end of the seminar, attendees will understand key concepts associated with analyzing, developing, and implementing same-day/ open access scheduling. During the course, we will provide descriptive illustrations of how the implementation of key concepts at the Santa Cruz Health Services Agency (SCHSA) resulted in measurable improvements, which include:
- Reduction in the patient no-show rate from 35 percent to 15 percent.
- Increased patient volume of 20 percent.
- Creation of patient care teams, which contributed to reduction in average per-visit time from 25 minutes to 20 minutes due to enhanced physician knowledge regarding specific patient conditions.
The presentation will be conduced in a case study data format to demonstrate the “before and after” experience of the SCHSA.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this seminar is to present relevant background information, analytical tools, and management techniques that will enable administrators to understand the steps necessary to implement open access/same-day scheduling. Specifically, attendees will learn how to:
- Understand critical components of the open access scheduling process.
- Grasp the key benchmarks required to monitor patient access performance indicators.
- Formulate operational strategies to maximize patient access and streamline registration/scheduling work flows.
- Create an action plan that will guide staff through the implementation steps required for open access scheduling.
- Develop the key reports required to monitor change progress.
Keywords: Access, Access to Health Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement: I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
