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When a state-of-the-art lab opened, some feared the new technology. Employees worried it would replace jobs. But the results may surprise you. See how adapting to change is helping patients, workers and Kaiser Permanente.
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Courtesy Calls Resonate With Ultrasound Patients
- Reviewing upcoming ultrasound appointments to schedule reminder calls
- Dividing call duties among different assigned staffers to ensure privacy
- Calling a day in advance of appointments to discuss patient instructions
What can your team do to reach out to patients? And how could your team work with other teams to improve service?
Go on Point to Reduce Missing Lab Orders
- Assigning a point person to work with physicians and departments to ensure patients have the needed lab orders
- Coordinating efforts across the multiple departments that engage in a patient's treatment
- Assigning a backup assistant to ensure the point duties are covered
What can your team do to identify where things "fall through the cracks"? What else could your team do to put the patient at the center?
Creative Thinking Makes a Faster Lab
- Opening the lab a half-hour earlier to prevent long lines at the open of business
- Shifting work schedules and staggering lunch hours to have more staff covering available time
- Cross-training staff to register patients, process specimens and draw blood
What can your team do to improve its workflow?
Going One on One Improves Satisfaction Scores
- Identifying the problem of lab wait times and its root causes
- Employing a "one-on-one" style of service so more staffers help reduce the queue
- Having lab technicians handle patients from check-in to blood draw
What can your team do to find out the root cause of a nagging problem?
New Needles Bruise Less, Please Patients
- Identifying the problem was with the needle supplier
- Filing a Responsible Reporting Form, and working together to arrive at the solution
- Switching needle suppliers to improve care and safety
What can your team do to listen to the voice of the patient?
Early Shift Ensures On-Time Labs
- Having lab assistants, not runners, pick up blood samples at 6 a.m. and drop off specimens every half-hour
- Using clinical lab scientists from other departments to help process blood in the morning
- Moving weekend shifts for clinical lab scientists to 6 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.
What can your team do to shift its workflow for the benefit of patients?
Front-of-the-Line Pass Reduces Unneeded Tests
- Identifying which tests oncology patients actually need
- Creating and issuing a "golden ticket" to get patients to the front of the line
- Fast tracking the processing of labs before seeing the doctor
What can your team do to adjust your workflow in a way that puts the patient at the center?
TOOLS
Format:
PDF
Size:
8.5” x 11”
Intended audience:
Frontline employees, managers and physicians
Best used:
Hang this poster detailing how one UBT improved service and boosted morale on bulletin boards, in break rooms and other staff areas. Use it to discuss possible changes with colleagues.
