Hold Orders occured when a physician entered an order in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) for a future appointment, but for one reason or another, the order remained on hold indefi nitely. The most current data showed more than 36,000 "Hold Orders" in the Western EMR system and "Schedule Follow-Up" hold orders (3,200 in number) represented the largest type of Hold Order. Some "Schedule Follow-Up" hold orders represented missed appointments, lost revenue and ultimately aff ected patient satisfaction and thus
patient retention.
Identify an accurate measurement and root cause for the large number of 'Schedule Follow-Up' hold orders.
Reduce the weekly growth of "Schedule Follow-Up" orders by reducing the number of unreleased Hold Orders, increasing Hold Order Cancellation for deceased patients and improve chart management for cancel/missed appointments.
- Annualized Cost Savings: $88,200
- Ensured ability to deliver treatment plan on time
- Increased Patient Satisfaction
- Avoidance of Stakeholder burnout
- Accommodated 20% projected growth
- Hold Orders created inaccurate metrics related to patient treatment performance
- Hold Orders negatively affected capturing bill charges and revenue goals
- Hold Orders optimization improved patient accountability and reduced missed or cancelled appointments
For more information please contact:
Ahmed Ayad
Director of Lean Six Sigma Operations
Ahmed.Ayad@ctca-hope.com
