There was a 40% decrease in the number of patients scheduled for Rehab Services from July 2010 through December 2010. During this same time period, new patient volume had grown 15%, indicating this was not a volume issue. Extending the knowledge of Rehab Services benefi ts would support patients in managing their side eff ects from chemotherapy, radiation and surgery while improving their overall quality of life.
The goal of this project was to increase the number of patients scheduled for Rehab from 250 per month to 385 per month by June 2011.
- "Trigger Cards" listing specifi c reasons why a patient should be referred to Rehab Services were given to all referring providers and were based on the relevant side eff ects (Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Surgery, etc.)
- Rehab partnered with a Patient Empowered Care® (PEC) team member to strengthen the presence of Rehab during a standard patient visit
- Standard Work Instructions were developed for tracking patient declines and assisted with getting them back on the schedule
- Flexibility for adhoc patients were created by adjusting the Rehab schedule to accommodate 30 and 60 minute visits based on patient treatment (previously all visits were 60 minutes leaving no space for add-ons)
- A scheduling template was created for all new patients to include a visit with Rehab Services during their initial evaluation
- "Reminder Cards" were made for patients, to ensure they knew about any upcoming visits and would complete their plan of care
- Defects were tracked to make sure that patients being scheduled are receiving the necessary treatments
- The importance of integrating Rehab into the Patient Empowered Care (by partnering with a PEC member)
- The importance of investing patients in their plan of care (to ensure patients can truly reap the benefi ts of what Rehab Services has to offer)
For more information please contact:
Colleen Orlick
Lean Operations/Lean Six Sigma Manager
Colleen.Orlick@ctca-hope.com
