Pre-Labs for Outpatient Cancer Clinics
Abstract
Problem: Collecting labs on the same day as clinic visits and infusion therapy negatively impacts microsystem efficiency, contributes to long patient wait times, and delays clinical decision making.
Context: In-room cycle times for each doctor at an outpatient cancer clinic are upwards of 50-80 minutes. The clinic sends patients to the infusion center for treatment after they have gained clearance from their doctor. However, long lab processing times create back-ups in both the cancer center and the infusion center.
Interventions: The proposed intervention is to send a mobile phlebotomy service to the patient’s home 24 to 48 hours before scheduled appointments. This will significantly reduce patient wait times in the clinic, support efficient workflows in the infusion center, and close care gaps.
Measures: The outcome measured is clinic cycle times. The processes measured aim to ensure phlebotomists collect bloodwork and results are with the ordering physician prior to the clinic appointment. The electronic medical record and the hospital’s charting system will be the data sources reviewed to measure clinic cycle times and infusion start times. Patient cancellations with the third-party mobile phlebotomy serve as the balance measure.
Results: Preliminary data showed 98% patient satisfaction and clinic wait times decreased.
Conclusions: Patients that had labs drawn at their home before their appointment experience shorter appointment times at the clinic. Consequently, clinicians can be more efficient, have an increase in appointment capacity, and patients and care teams are unburdened by wait times.
Keywords: pre-labs, expedient test results, patient communication, clinic wait times.
