Beginning in 2005, SNI has collaborated with nationally recognized outpatient medical practice redesign experts Coleman Associates to improve the patient experience and the operational efficiency of outpatient services across the membership of the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (CAPH). This successful partnership, now in its fifth year, has been funded by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF).
The highly structured clinic improvement program helps public clinics redesign their daily operations in order to complete a primary care visit in under an hour. As well, clinics focus on increasing provider productivity (the number of patient visits per provider per hour)—all without reducing the time a patient spends with his or her provider.
Forty-eight public hospital outpatient clinics have participated in the Patient Visit Redesign program to date. Upon completion of the collaborative, these teams are maintaining a 44% reduction in visit time, keeping their average visit under 60 minutes. As a direct result of this work, patients report higher satisfaction in overall care, and clinic staff have more reliable processes for sharing the work in the high volumes of care they provide each day.
SNI and Coleman Associates continue to help public hospital systems spread successful redesigned patient visit models from pilot sites to additional clinics in each county’s system. In 2010 and 2011, the partnership between SNI, Coleman Associates, and public hospital clinics will continue within the Seamless Care Center Initiative. Within the Seamless Care program, new work with Coleman Associates will include the redesign of clinic scheduling systems to improve access for patients, while clinic staff and managers continue the Patient Visit Redesign focus on efficient and well-choreographed visits once patients arrive at the clinic.
Contact: Hunter Gatewood, MSW