Minnesota Oncology, a practice within The US Oncology Network, recently spearheaded a comprehensive initiative aimed at optimizing patient access in the complex realm of oncology care. Recognizing the challenges faced by both patients and staff, the leadership team at Minnesota Oncology undertook a quality improvement initiative to streamline operational processes and enhance the overall patient experience. The results of the program were presented in an abstract at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Beginning with an analysis of patient and staff feedback, which included patient satisfaction surveys that pointed to prolonged telephone hold times for scheduling and a concerning number of missed appointments due to delayed order processing, the team pinpointed the need for systematic improvements in their operational strategies.

The subsequent quality improvement initiative used a multifaceted approach to identify and address the core issues inhibiting efficient patient access. The center hosted a “Kaizen” event that facilitated the active participation of frontline scheduling and clinical staff. Through this event, the team mapped existing workflows, pinpointed redundancies, and subjected the existing processes to rigorous root cause analyses.

Minnesota Oncology used the insights they gained to implement a series of targeted operational strategies designed to streamline their processes and eliminate inefficiencies. These strategies included “regionalized resource utilization to maximize productivity; strategic redistribution of workload to improve efficiency; workflow redesign to streamline processes and eliminate waste; and redefinition of key performance indicators for business unit performance management.”

The initiative showed positive results, with significant improvements observed across various performance metrics. As of the latest evaluation in May 2023, the average phone wait times for scheduling appointments was reduced from 9.5 minutes to 1.5 minutes, alleviating a major pain point for both patients and staff. The time required for order processing went from 14.6 days to 5.2 days, helping reduce the critical waiting period from diagnosis to treatment. Additionally, the percentage of abandoned calls on the scheduling line saw a drop of 11.36% to 1.67%, reflecting the enhanced efficiency of the scheduling system and a notable improvement in patient satisfaction.

The positive impact of these operational changes was demonstrated by the increase in patient satisfaction levels: The satisfaction rate for appointment access increased from 75.4% to 77.5%, and the satisfaction rate for ease of scheduling went from 74.1% to 77.8%.

These outcomes underscore the importance of continuous methodological improvement in enhancing clinic operations to improve the patient experience. 

Cooper C, Pearson G, Malisetti RK. Clearing the path: leveraging operational optimization strategies to enhance patient access. Presented at: 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium; October 27-28, 2023; Boston, MA, and virtual; Abstract 450.