Thursday, October 11, 2007

About Patient Visit Redesign

About Patient Visit Redesign: "There's a lot for patients to dislike about going to see the doctor these days. It often begins with the frustration of an impersonal, incomprehensible auto-attended phone system and being put on hold when the patient finally reaches a real person. Then there's the interminable waiting—for a convenient and timely appointment, for registering after arriving for the appointment, as well as the big wait before seeing the clinician (finally!). All for fifteen minutes of face time with the doctor, on average, who is trying hard to listen but is frequently interrupted by other staff and distracted knowing that other patients are waiting to be seen. But it doesn't have to be this way. It's not just patients who are frustrated. Clinicians are frustrated by processes and systems that stymie their quest for quality patient care. Clinic staff members are numbed by all the rules, policies, procedures, forms, papers, and hierarchy that stifle creativity and individual effectiveness. Patient Visit Redesign is about work process design and teamwork. It is focused on the end-user of your services—the patient—though the benefits of redesign are reaped by the staff and the organization as well. The goal of redesign is to virtually eliminate patient waiting. "

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous12:11 AM

    Excellant article.

    The old fashioned country doctors spent time with their patients like they were "real" people.

    I think medical doctors could benefit from the example of the alternative health care field who spend more 1 on 1 time with clients.

    http://www.promassagetherapy.net

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