Team Effort Speeds Up Patient Wait Times
- Having medical assistants take vitals instead of waiting for LPNs
- Huddling twice daily to discuss needs and concerns
- Dividing labor and shifting schedules where necessary
What can your team do to huddle more often and more effectively?
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Hanging in the waiting room is near the bottom of the patient's wish list, so the internal medicine team at the Hidden Lake Medical Office looked to reduce wait times. Instead of making patients wait for a licensed practical nurse to take their vitals, they had medical assistants chip in. The team also huddled twice each day to figure out assignments and patient needs, and rethought the division of labor. They cut patient wait times from 19 minutes to 11.
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Live, non-archived content
TTP Blurb
This internal medicine team reduced wait times for patients after it started huddling twice daily and shifted schedules where necessary.
Why This Matters
Speeding up patient's time to see doctor is good service.
Test of Change
Getting medical assistants to check vitals
Long Teaser
Improving wait times at the doctor can help to improve customer service. See how your team can shift labor to be more efficient.
Nav Section
Preview Image
Landing Page Title
Speed Up Patient Wait Times
Topics
Quality
Service
Role
Frontline Managers
Frontline Physicians
Frontline Workers
UBT Co-Leads
Date of publication
This has been edited
0
Department
Outpatient
Content Type
Team-Tested Practice
Content Goal
Inform
Subject
High Res Photo Set
Big Number
42%
Explanation
reduction in wait times for patients at internal medicine office