Reducing Patient Wait Times in Healthcare

This assignment examines the strategies employed in healthcare to reduce patient wait times. It delves into the impact of web-based technologies and patient portals on streamlining appointments and access to information. The analysis highlights the importance of efficient workflow management and leveraging information technology to improve patient experience and care delivery.

Running head: SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Services Operations Management
Name of Student:
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Author’s Note:

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Answer to Case Study 3...................................................................................................................2
Rationale for variability affecting capacity at clinic....................................................................2
Cost to the clinic of wait times....................................................................................................3
Recommendations and rationale for the same.............................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................8

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Answer to Case Study 3
Rationale for variability affecting capacity at clinic
The registration desk has been seen to be in contact with the patients at the clinic who are
seen to be generally given the schedule at 8:30 a.m. The remainder of the patients were seen to
be rarely scheduled for the appointment after 11:30 a.m. and the last patient is seen to frequently
going for the examination of the scheduled surgeon and senior resident. The variability in
capacity in the clinic has been able depict the various types of the problem which has been seen
to mainly getting affect on the arrival time of the patients at the hospital. Some of the main
problems associated to the variability in the capacity have been affected with the scheduling of
the patients. The variability also made the process take a longer time in terms of the verification
of the medical documents and the same which needs to be submitted by the patients. In addition
to this, the new patients returned to the waiting areas as the nurse verified the medical documents
which need to be submitted by the patient. It has been further seen that 85% of the follow up of
the patients has been seen to be dealing with X-Ray service. Henceforth, variability in te capacity
has been seen to affect the ongoing treatment (Roberts et al. 2016).
The controller of the ER is the person with whom the machine is shared. In case of an
emergency ER is seen to halt the clinic process such that the ER will be able to make use of the
machine. The radiology department is used by the Pediatric, Urrology, and Chest Clinic along
with ER. This has been seen to lead to various types of the varying nature of the demand which
in turn is seen to affect on the different types of the variability as a result of the improving
scheduling of the clinic appointment with the other departments. The caveat of emergencies is
also seen to be affected due to the variability in the capacity at the clinic. Due to this, the

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENTadditional equipment purchase such as X-Ray machine is considered with a reduced effect of
variability (Ostrovsky and Barnett 2014).
There has been seen with several types of bottlenecks identified in the process. These
bottlenecks are mainly recognised in the Radiology department. The mixed process in the clinic
process has come to halt for the various types of the emergency room patients. As per the activity
utilization rate, the surgeon’s utilization rate is discerned to be more than 100% and this has been
seen to be significant with the bottleneck in the clinic process. It has been further discerned that
the surgeon should seen 100% of the new patients and 30% of the follow ups, where 1 resident
available with the rest of the follow ups. The demand for the surgeon is seen to be greater than
the available timeframe.
Cost to the clinic of wait times
In general when patients are waiting for months or weeks for the appointment of the
physician, several adverse consequences takes place. Some of this has been seen to be discerned
with emotional consequences where the patients become anxious and angry. These are further
seen to worsen the medical issues, especially during those situations where the patients do not
show up with their appointment in the final roll around. The various types of the other
consequences has been seen to be based on the various types of the impacts in form of the
financial aspects and this needs to be explained in form of the different types of the services and
dragged feet in cutting of the waiting times. The reduced nature of the waiting times has been
further seen to be evident with the various types of the other factors which have been seen to
associated to reduce the revenue and irritate the physicians (Ramdorai and Herstatt 2015).

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENTThe financial dynamics as per the waiting time has been clarified in terms of the strategic
context. This has shed light on the impacts of fee-for serviceas per the value based payments
method and the way the system approach is seen to take place. The different types of the waiting
times has been further based on the practices and the systems which has been seen to be
associated to the various types of the aspects for way practices and systems approach the access
conundrum. The emotional effect of the waiting time on the patients has been further seen to be
associated to the various types of the emotional effects on the patients. The different types of the
uncertain cases have been also evident with the concerned patients concerning disease
progressing and intervening with the opportunities. Several types of the other variables have
been further seen to be based on the different aspects such as concerned disease and the lost
opportunities of intervention. Several types of the other variables have been further based on
other variables such as communication, teamwork and the powerful drivers of the patients and
the effect of the response. The data has been further able to reveal a dose of the response effect
which is seen to be seen with the longer waiting time and lower amount of satisfaction with care.
The patients waiting for weeks has been seen to be based on the various types the appointment
which has been further seen to affect on the various types of the other consideration affecting
waiting time (Kim, Gaukler and Lee 2016).
The longer is the waiting time of the patients, the greater chance is there that the patients
won’t show up. The situation of No-Shows is particularly observed to be problematic as per the
fiscal perspective and the unfilled scheduling slots. The reduction in the impacts of the patients
has been further seen to be evident with the varied types of the considerations which have been
able, to state on the large volume surge. The result of this has been has been discerned with
chaos and longer waiting time before the final appointment.

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENTWaiting time is identified to be thee expected demand rate which is seen to exceed with
the expected supply rate for the limited period of time. This has been especially evident with the
constant capacity levels and the demand which has been seen to exhibit the seasonality aspect.
The various types of the utilization levels have been seen to be more than 100% for certain time
period. The queues forming time has seen with the gate of the clinic. Therefore such queues are
seen to be identified after the utilization rate is seen to be below 100% (Price and St. John 2014).
The cost of clinic and the waiting times has been identified with main concern for the
young patients. The long waiting times has been further seen to be based on the various types of
the factors aggravate the distress and the concern among the patients. In addition to this, the
parents were irritated for missing the significance at the time of the work. At present, on average
the patients were seen to be spending two hours at the clinic. The health of the patient was not
seen to be the only concern; the various types of the clinical staff had increasingly complaining
about the overextended budgetary pressures. This was mainly considered with the effective
utilization of the unresolved request for the radiology department for the use of more advanced
equipment. In addition to the above discussed topics, Dr. Leitch’s concern was not seen to be
convinced with the effective utilization of the staff. Federal and provincial policy makers has
been increasing concern with economic impacts which were affected with the longer waiting
times for the national economic productivity (Lindskog, Hemphälä and Eriksson 2017).
Recommendations and rationale for the same
The hospital management needs to volunteer the clinic with respect to the hospital
management which has been seen as a test to demonstrate the patient care to be conducted in a
more timely fashion and at the same time keeping the cost down. The main objective should be
based on reducing the total amount of waiting time by 20% to depict the meaningful

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENTimprovement which has been seen to be evident with the improvement in various types of the
patients, management and staff. Some of the other recommendation can be further seen to be
taken based on the fast approach to the patients and be able to present recommendations that will
be able to significantly reduce the waiting time. The follow up of the patients has been further
seen to be based on the different types of the consideration which has been seen to be based on
developing of the present regime. The patients has been seen to require the various types of the
consideration which has been seen to be related to the making the necessary adjustment and
alterations which will be able to ensure that the patients will be able to be admitted in the
appropriate examination room. The cast technician were seen to be having 25% of the new
patients and the rest 50% should be following with the 15% of the following up of the patients.
By the adoption of the aforementioned actions the children’s hospital will be able to improve the
present service (Parameswaran and Raijmakers 2010).
Doctors, administrative staff and nurses are seen to be practice and take quality care of
the various types of the patients has been identified with the satisfaction as the main priority. The
patients will be further have the will to will to wait before meeting with the physicians and
finding the various types of the ways for reducing the waiting times. It has been further discerned
that the health care professionals will be able to reduce the total amount of the waiting time
which is seen to be able to state on the measuring the balance of the demand and supple and
ensuring completion of the appointments within the assigned deadline. This will not prevent the
patients to see them with various urgencies and the changing way for allowing the priorities. The
different types of the other initiative can be considered with hired group of the organized and
hard working staff members. The dedicated staffs has been identified to check and schedule the
patients appointments, which will only reduce the waiting time of the patients and streamline the

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENTworkflow in the front office. The several types of the other initiatives have been further taken
with reconsideration of the starting time of the staffs. This needs to be evaluated based on the
starting time of the staff working hours versus the time patients first walk into the waiting room.
The other recommendation has been further seen to be based on encouraging the patients for
early scheduling of the appointment. The number of accidents and the emergencies can be
further improved by making use of online check-in system. The EHRs and the patient’s can be
made to good use by allowing the patients for the adoption of web based technology and
appointment of the location as per choice. The main form of the motivation of the patients ca
been further seen to be based on the adoption of the various types of the other initiatives by
Speaking of the patient portal, it's another great tool that can be used to reduce patient wait times.
As per the physical practice the various types of the opportunities has been considered with the
filling of the paperwork and submit of the insurance information and gain access to the various
types of the import updates. The various type of the health care professional will be able to
motivate the patients using portals and improve the workflow management based on the use of
the information technology on health systems (Groves et al. 2013).

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
References
Groves, P., Kayyali, B., Knott, D. and Van Kuiken, S. (2013) ‘The “big data” revolution in
healthcare: accelerating value and innovation’, McKinsey Global Institute, (January), pp. 1–22.
doi: 10.1145/2537052.2537073.
Kim, R. H., Gaukler, G. M. and Lee, C. W. (2016) ‘Improving healthcare quality: A
technological and managerial innovation perspective’, Technological Forecasting and Social
Change, 113, pp. 373–378. doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2016.09.012.
Lindskog, P., Hemphälä, J. and Eriksson, A. (2017) ‘Lean tools promoting individual innovation
in healthcare’, Creativity and Innovation Management, 26(2), pp. 175–188. doi:
10.1111/caim.12201.
Ostrovsky, A. and Barnett, M. (2014) ‘Accelerating change: Fostering innovation in healthcare
delivery at academic medical centers’, Healthcare, 2(1), pp. 9–13. doi:
10.1016/j.hjdsi.2013.12.001.
Parameswaran, L. and Raijmakers, J. (2010) People-focused innovation in healthcare, Philips.
Available at: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&btnG=Search&q=intitle:People-
focused+innovation+in+healthcare#0.
Price, C. P. and St. John, A. (2014) ‘Innovation in healthcare. The challenge for laboratory
medicine’, Clinica Chimica Acta, pp. 71–78. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2013.09.043.
Ramdorai, A. and Herstatt, C. (2015) ‘Frugal Innovation in Healthcare How Targeting Low-
Income Markets Leads to Disruptive Innovation’, India Studies in Business and Economics,

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SERVICES OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT(August 2010), pp. 1–178. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-16336-9.
Roberts, J. P., Fisher, T. R., Trowbridge, M. J. and Bent, C. (2016) ‘A design thinking
framework for healthcare management and innovation’, Healthcare, 4(1), pp. 11–14. doi:
10.1016/j.hjdsi.2015.12.002.