Remove the "waste." Get more from less. Make difficult tasks easier. It's all in a day's work for the Department of Operational Improvement. Directed by Sabi Singh, the department's management engineers are overseeing a long-term transformation of the newly integrated academic medical center's operational service environment. Their task: Refine and improve all the little details that sum up the patient's experience from prior to arrival to the time of departure. In fact, Singh's department is a pioneer in bringing data-driven operational business concepts to a hospital setting. Rapid improvement is the goal. "It surprises people to find out how quickly measurable improvements can be made that provide more efficiency, accuracy, and value to patients and staff—all with minimal resources," Singh says.
When working in the ETC I feel like I have two responsibilities: Taking care of my individual patient and finding better ways to take care of all patients. We all need to feel like Chief Quality Officers constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of care and the flow of patients.
—Chris Wyatt, MD
Fix one problem, on to the next
The Emergency Treatment Center is a shining example of how operational improvements are enhancing the patient experience at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The ETC saw many such improvements as part of a five-day kaizen ("good change" in Japanese) workshop designed to find ways to streamline quality and flow—the movement of patients and information smoothly, without delays. "For example, if lab tests are needed, it is best if the tests are started quickly and information handoffs are direct so the results are available when the physician needs them," says management engineer Tom Persoon. "We helped them change their processes to start testing earlier in the visit." The ultimate benefit from all the improvements was a nearly 10 percent increase in ETC patient satisfaction scores and a 13-minute decrease in patient wait times. "All the great ideas for improvement come from our front line people," says Eric Dickson, MD, head of Emergency Medicine. "Once we as managers accepted that, the ideas started to flow."
A more streamlined patient record
An electronic clinical information system will contribute to quality patient care through more streamlined, and secure record-keeping. Installation of the $41 million system began this past year, with full implementation to occur over three years. Developed by Epic Systems Corporation, the clinical information system will provide trained staff with easy-to-use tools for computerized tracking of items such as medical histories, caregiver notes, and test results.
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