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Table 2 Common targets to be achieved during project

From: Improving accessibility for outpatients in specialist clinics: reducing long waiting times and waiting lists with a simple analytic approach

 

Topic

Targets and actions

Topics and targets from value stream analyses and activity analyses

Evaluation of time from GP referrals to addition to list and response to patient (within the national 10-day limit).

Average evaluation time < 2 days; none > 10 days.

Organize regular resources for evaluation of referrals (no batching) < 65 days.

Long waiting time.

Plan for booking the longest waiters (top 30 each week).

Long wait list.

Number on wait list reduced to an appropriate level for attaining steady state of a 65-day wait time.

High number of delayed follow-up patients.

No delayed follow-up patients.

Inefficient use of secretarial resources due to patients calling for lacking appointments.

Optimization of secretarial resources.

Large number of patients rebooked.

Longer booking horizon may reduce rebooking?

Large number of no-shows.

Longer booking horizon may reduce no-shows?

Resources

Clinic management.

Establish regular huddle meetings with involved personnel to discuss current problems and find solutions.

Cross-professional teams analyzing problems and suggesting solutions.

Temporarily buying extra working time.

Temporary increase in physicians’ extended working hours.

Exporting delayed controls to other providers.

Eliminate old problems that may not be expected to be solved within ordinary steady state resources.