There are several keys to implementing this system and making it successful. It begins by having a designated individual inside the facility who takes ownership; for our facility, it was our pre-assessment nurse. She believed in the project and worked hard to ensure its success. Our physicians were also crucial supporters of the system. Without physician backing, the program has additional hurdles to overcome. The final vital element was choosing a program that would be adaptable to our needs, which has support staff that is responsive and supportive in answering questions as well as responding quickly to issues as they arise. Simple Admit was the program we chose, and we have not been disappointed.
Within three months of implementation, we experienced a high percentage of success — and then a drop-off. We found that initially we were very rigid in our requirement that all patients go online to fill out their assessment. We even made a computer available at the center for patients that did not own or have access to a computer. For those patients who insisted they did not know how to work a computer, a staff member assisted them on using the computer at the center. However, what started as an occasional survey being mailed to a patient and returned to the center to be entered by the staff, quickly became 25 percent of our surveys. The staff discussed the issue and agreed to return to the austere position of requiring all patients to go online or face the possibility of cancellation, and our physicians helped us reinforce our position.
It worked like a charm. The physicians gave the patients information about where to go online to fill out the pre-assessment form, including telling patients to stop at the center before going home if they needed access to a computer. Staff reinforced the requirement when speaking with patients. The center’s compliance rate shot back up to greater than 95 percent.
Over the last 18 months, we have been through several modifications of our patient pre-assessment questionnaire to make it more patient- and facility-friendly. Our patient feedback regarding the system is largely positive, especially when they return to the center and only have to update the information already entered. The summary assists anesthesia to focus on areas of possible concern and to address them promptly. We love our system and the results were certainly worth the effort.
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