Haywood County's Family Planning Clinic Improves Efficiency
- Details
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 March 2015 21:12
Kathryn Keogh
Nursing Director
157 Paragon Parkway Suite 800
Clyde, NC 28721
Phone: 828-452-6675
E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Project Summary
improved and additional QI team members were recruited.
Background Information on the Area for Improvement
Need for the QI Initiative
How was the need for the QI Initiative determined?Since baseline data was collected on Family Planning clinic flow and a few strategies to improve clinic efficiency had been initiated, the QI team decided to expand on these initiatives. They selected to study and improve the intake process of registration because it was the first step in the registration process.
Project Aim:
Project Dates
Initiative Begin Date: Nov 1, 2013Initiative End Date: June 2013
Accreditation Status
Are you accredited by the NC Accreditation Program? YesAre you PHAB accredited? No
If no, do you plan on applying for PHAB accreditation? No
QI Tools/Methods Used
- Value Stream Map
- PDSA Worksheet,
- Spaghetti Diagram
- Run Charts
- 5 Why's Analysis
- Brainstorming,
- Fishbone Diagram
- Root Cause Analysis,
- Surveys
- Standard Work
Root Cause
Inconsistent registration processes
Implementation of the QI Initiative
Initially: implement preregistering clients to be done by management support staff. Management support staff
called clients to preregister them [enter demographic data into electronic record] before their scheduled
appointment time. Clients and staff were involved with the initiative.
Measurable QI Outcomes
As a result, 60% of clients are preregistered, requiring on average 4-9 fewer minutes to register than nonpreregistered clients [8-19 minutes vs 12-18 minutes]. Overall average time to register clients, whether preregistered or not, decreased from 15-50 minutes to less than 20 minutes. Client survey scores rating the appointment making process negatively decreased from 6.6% to 4.6% and negative wait time scores decreased from 20% to 9%. Employee survey scores rating the appointment making process negatively decreased from 57% to 24% but negative scores for wait times increased from 29% to 53%. 65% of employees rated communication positively.
Intangible Benefits
professional development of staff, culture shift to fostering/supporting change, learning how to engage others,
recruited future QI team members, improved communication: huddles, communication board, training manual and
job aids, reduced paperwork and redundant tasks.
Areas for Improvement and Change Ideas Implemented
Improvement 1
Implement a preregistration process
Improvement 2
Improve consistency of the registration process by creating a training manual, job aid, check lists, and conducting audits to identify error rate.
Improvement 3
Improve communication among staff regarding changes by conducting huddles and using a communication board.
Improvement 4
Introduce the concept of QI into the culture and fostering an atmosphere that embraces change and freedom to 'test' ideas.
Lessons Learned
- Conduct the Kaizen event earlier on in the process.
- Advertise and celebrate successes.
- Allow time for staff to experience positive results of change.
- Recruit next team members while the project is being conducted.
- Expect resistance.
- Communicate: listen to unspoken messages from frontline staff.
- Use and adhere to meeting agenda formats.
Other Information
- Include the supervisor of the affected project area early on in the process if they are not already directly involved.
- Be patient: the QI team was losing hope that improvements could be made just when the frontline staff was getting on board.
- Persevere and foster a 'willingness to try' attitude to overcome resistance to change.