Strategies for reducing patient waiting times in the pre-admission unit at AUBMC

Abstract

The aim of this project is to identify strategies to reduce patient waiting time in the preadmissionunit (PAU) at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). Usually preadmission assessments in PAU are requested for patients requiring elective surgery, and are completed 3 to 10 days prior to surgery.The purpose of pre-admission testing (PAT) is to detect any condition a patient might have that may prevent or delay the surgery. This helps to avoid OR cancellations and delays, and provides an additional opportunity to educate patients regarding their surgery.Despite the benefits of pre-admission assessments, studies have shown a number of problems, mainly related to issues in scheduling that are causing long waiting time in the clinic, resulting in patient dissatisfaction. Adding, waiting time has been recognized as a significant component of patient satisfaction.As for the situation at AUBMC, waiting time has been an ongoing problem in PAU for several years, which has been a significant dissatisfier for patients who use this service. This study responds to the concerns of patients by investigating strategies for reducing waiting times in PAUs and by recommending strategies that AUBMC could adopt to improve the patient experience in the PAU. The following characteristics for an ideal pre-admission program were identified from an in-depth review of available literature: a) using a block appointment scheduling system b) providing an amusing and comfortable waiting area c) shifting patients from the walk-in clinic to scheduled appointments d) improving the PAT processes in preadmission clinics.Process mapping was used to complement the findings of the literature review by revealing the reasons for the long waiting times in the PAU. The process mapping results enabled the investigator to identify the lack of scheduled appointments as the major reason for the long waiting times in the PAU. Consequently, the study concludes with the recommendations that AUBMC should introduce a process for scheduling appoi