Reduction of ASC Turnover Time Decreases Patient Wait Time and Clinical Costs
Download This Case Study
Center Profile
Located in Altamonte Springs, Florida, this AMSURG ASC partnership is a freestanding, two-room endoscopy center that performs more than 6,300 gastroenterology cases per year with five GI physicians.
The Challenge
The center management team wanted to improve overall efficiency and increase patient satisfaction. They identified issues with patient flow and procedure room turnover times that caused:
- Procedure delays
- Long patient wait time, which negatively impacted patient experience
- Increased clinical costs
TAMEIKA ANDERSON, MSN, RN
“The changes AMSURG implemented significantly improved our overall efficiency. Labor is better utilized with the rooms cleared on time. Patients are also more satisfied, as it decreased their wait time for procedures. They frequently comment on the smoothness of the process, as it only takes about 90 minutes total.”
Unique Solutions
AMSURG collaborated with center leadership to decrease turnover times by conducting a comprehensive time study. Turnover time is defined as the time the first patient leaves a room until the next patient arrives in that same room. By lowering turnover times, a center is able to:
- Optimize patient flow by improving procedure start times
- Improve patient wait times
- Identify potential cost savings for staffing and supplies
Results
Physicians, nurses and clinical staff improved teamwork and processes, which streamlined operations. A second time study assessment confirmed improved results:
- 30% reduction in procedure room turnover times, from 10 to 7 minutes
- 10% reduction in clinical salaries
- 23% reduction in patient time at the ASC, from 117 minutes to 90 minutes, resulting in positive patient comments and improved satisfaction