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Hickory Medical Clinic The Hickory Medical Clinic recently conducted a patient satisfaction survey

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Hickory Medical Clinic

The Hickory Medical Clinic recently conducted a patient satisfaction survey. Using a scale of 1-5, with 1 being "very dissatisfied" and 5 being "very satisfied," the clinic compiled a check sheet for responses that were either 1 or 2, indicating dissatisfaction with the performance attributes. Exhibit 7.10 shows the count of patients that scored the process attribute as a 1 (very dissatisfied) or 2 (dissatisfied) out of 100 patients surveyed.

 

Exhibit 7.10

The Number of Patient's Dissatisfied with the Process

Making an Appointment            Check-in/Check-out       Care and Treatment

Ease of getting through on the phone—10         Courtesy and helpfulness of the receptionist—7 Respect shown by nurses/assistants—0

Friendliness of the telephone receptionist—5    Amount of time to register—1   Responsiveness to phone calls related to care—5

Convenience of office hours—7 Length of wait to see a physician—13    How well the physician listened—3

Ease of getting a convenient appointment—12  Comfort of registration waiting area—4 Confidence in the physician's ability—1

Explanation of medical condition and treatment—2

Doctors have extremely busy schedules. They have surgeries to perform, and many are teaching faculty at the local medical school. Many surgeries are emergencies or take longer than expected, resulting in delays of getting back to the clinic. In the clinic, one or two telephone receptionists answer calls for three different surgical departments, which include 20 or more doctors. The receptionist's job is to schedule appointments, provide directions, and transfer calls to the proper doctor's administrative (department) scheduler. This generally requires putting the patient on hold. Often, the receptionist must take a hand-written message and personally deliver it to the department's scheduler because the phone line is always busy. However, the receptionist cannot leave his or her desk without someone else to cover the phones. A student intern examined the processes for answering phone calls and registering patients. The flowcharts she developed are shown in Exhibits 7.11 and 7.12. (An encounter form captures the patient check-in information.)

 

Exhibit 7.11

Current Hickory Medical Clinic Process for Answering Phone Calls

A flow diagram represents the Current Hickory Medical Clinic process for answering phone calls. The sequence is as follows. Call is received. Operator answers call if available. Or, patient is put on hold until operator answers call. Patient is put on hold. Operator transfers call and Secretary answers call. Or, operator takes message, message is delivered to secretary, and call is returned. Or, call is not returned.Enlarge Image

Exhibit 7.12

Current Hickory Medical Clinic Patient Registration Process

A flow diagram represents the Current Hickory Medical Clinic Patient Registration process. The sequence is as follows. Patient signs in, Receptionist offers to validate parking, Receptionist finds proper encounter form, Receptionist determines if any information is needed, Encounter form is placed in a basket, Patient is asked to take a seat, and Receptionist pages nurse. Two copies are made of insurance card if needed, Encounter form is signed, Copay is obtained (Patient is asked to take a seat), One copy of insurance card is stapled to signature page and placed in stack, One copy of insurance card is placed with encounter form, Encounter form is placed in a basket, and Receptionist pages nurse. Receptionist updates computer records. Nurse brings chart and gets encounter form and patient, Secretary is given chart and encounter form, and Secretary updates patient's chart and electronic records. Enlarge Image

Case Questions for Discussion:

What conclusions do you reach from the satisfaction survey results? What implications would this have for a better process design?

 

Propose some process improvements to the flowcharts and develop new flowchart(s) of the redesigned process(es). Cite key advantages and disadvantages of your flowchart(s).

 

How should the organization implement the new process plans?

 

The canteen of the hospital run 24/7 for the clinic employees, patients, patients'relatives and friends, ... and was created 50 years according to a traditional layout. Everyone gets into the same queue, and moves along the queue in a FIFO style (First-in, First-out). The person arrives, take a tray, then cutlery, select drink(s) from the drink area and then moves into the food area passing in front of all the plates ready to take away and the employees who are preparing them. Then the person pass in front of fruti and dessert display and goes to pay.  At any moment in time one person cannot pass in front of others, but she/he can leave the queue and go to the cash point to pay: this assure a certain degree of efficiency.  They are thinking to renew the canteen and asked you to think what other scenarios would be possible and recommended.