The objectives mentioned above need the most suitable solutions to satisfy the customers. Furthermore, reducing the time to perform a colonoscopy must be significantly reduced to ensure the clinic does not undergo enormous cost, resource depletion, or wastage. The following solutions will significantly improve the clinic’s operations and service output. Therefore, providing the clinic with long-lasting solutions would bring about general satisfaction.
As a result, the first solution to improving the colonoscopy documentation administration is to utilize text message intervention for patients (Clancy & Dominitz, 2021; Walter et al., 2019). Thereby improving the administration process and ensuring that the doctor and the patients prepare enough and avoid wasting time. Besides the admission process, it is also essential to document and properly identify the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, thereby assisting in determining the appropriate sedation for the patient that an anesthesiologist can refer.
Secondly, there is a need to improve patient satisfaction. Hence, when a doctor has a clear vision of what they are dealing with, errors are likely reduced. Therefore, magnetic endoscopy imaging is advantageous to have better anatomy of the colon. Also, split bowel preparation is significant in reducing errors (Said Al Alawi, 2021). Furthermore, using appropriate disinfectant techniques is vital in reducing colonoscopy process errors.
Time wastage is a notorious habit that both the surgeons and the patient would prefer it was saved. Therefore, adding a Physician assistant will be essential for surgeons as they will help reduce the overall surgical workload. Also positively influences the discharge time for the patients. However, when a PA is unavailable, liaising with an external consultant will yield the same results when it comes to time management.
Finally, improving the bed flow begins with employing the lean method that reduces unnecessary steps that do not influence the colonoscopy process. As a result, creating proper schedules for surgeons and reducing discharge time ensures a proper bed flow. Furthermore, the clinic can consider reorganizing the floor plan to ensure more discharge within the right time to enhance bed flow.
DMAIC: Control (Design Measures to Ensure Improvement)
Setting or stipulating solutions can be great. However, if not utilized, it will be a risk to the clinic. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that measures that enhance improvement are used. Such measures include creating regular training programs for staff members and ensuring they are updated with every upcoming technique in the colonoscopy world. Hence, improving the quality of service offered to patients influences the performance quality of the clinic.
Sometimes better and high-quality equipment promises proper service delivery. Therefore, proper equipment and regular maintenance improve and optimizes colonoscopy operations. Thus, improving the quality of service and operation offered to the patients.
Another essential Improvement would be documenting the colonoscopy process and implementing disinfectant techniques. These would be essential in referring to ensure that the surgeons or any assistants involved in helping a colonoscopy patient are fully aware of the steps to be followed. Furthermore, the documentation would give surgeons and other service providers a sense of responsibility.
Automated reminders for the staff and patients are necessary to ensure the administration process runs smoothly. Thus ensuring the schedule and colonoscopy attendance session are achieved as required. Therefore, positively influences the time of operation for the patients and other upcoming patients as appointment slots are open.
Reviewing and updating documents is vital. Therefore, offering the clinic an opportunity to review the data regularly and measure the clinic’s progress. Furthermore, it enables the clinic to identify gaps and opportunities, continuously implementing the necessary improvements.
DMAIC: Control (Document of the Improved Process)
A chart is a necessary document to utilize, and it will have the details on the patient’s status before the procedure, the ASA score, colonoscopy indication, sedation type, medications required during the procedure, and results after the procedure (Rice et al., 2017). This information ensures that all the information is at hand if there is a change in personnel.
Utilizing a colonoscopy checklist is essential, whereby the checklist contains measures that should be adopted before, during, and after the operation. Additionally, the checklist enlists all the requirements met and outstanding quality attained. Also, creating a response link is influential in sharing the patients’ views on the colonoscopy procedure. Therefore, identifying opportunities and gaps that exist in the process.
Reorganizing the floor to increase the bed capacity is part of the improved process, increasing the number of patients intake (Clancy & Dominitz, 2021). Therefore, rearranging the beds creates sufficient capacity for more colonoscopy patients.
DMAIC: Control (Continuously Improved Process Using Lean Principles)
To determine the success of a project, the performance will be measured using turnaround analysis and patient feedback. Ensuring that perfection is ultimately attained in the clinic. Both positive and negative patient feedback enhances the future operation process.
Defining the problem, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling processes to reduce wastage is carried out by the health professions to promote efficiency in the clinic.
The Lean Six Sigma principle will define value, value mapping, creating flow, establishing pull, and continuous improvement (Koeneke, 2022). Therefore, ensuring improved bed flows, patient satisfaction, and the colonoscopy process.
Consistent evaluation creates room for identifying success, gaps, and opportunities that are later included in other projects to ensure continuously improved quality of service delivery and the response to patient feedback which offers overall patient satisfaction.
Closing Thoughts
Utilizing Sigma Six Lean principles allows the health sector to measure, analyze, and improve the turnaround time of patients. Therefore, ensuring constant improvement in different areas likely needs change. Furthermore, change is an essential element to be adopted in healthcare as there are diverse challenges and constant and new changes that otherwise ensure an improvement in the quality of service. Furthermore, there is an essential need to reduce uncertainties and excessive time consumption when delivering colonoscopy operations, thus influencing the patient’s overall feedback and the revenue a clinic can make. More adverse changes can be adopted, including educating the patient on various issues related to colonoscopy operations. Also, enhancing the patient checklist, scheduling and patient preparation, imaging techniques, using proper disinfectant techniques and floor reorganization, and patient feedback are all aspects that can be improved to ensure patient satisfaction at all times. Reduction of patient delays, long turnaround time, and reduced precision ensure continuous customer satisfaction. Patient satisfaction is the ultimate objective of the clinic. Thus ensuring satisfaction brings about positive reviews to the clinic and ultimately improves revenue standards.
References
Clancy, C. M., & Dominitz, J. A. (2021). Texting to Improve Colonoscopy Preparation and Adherence Needs More Study. JAMA Network Open, 4(1), e2035720-e2035720. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.35720.
Koeneke, B. (2022, May 17). The 5 Lean Principles: Definitions & How to Use Them. Project Management.
Rice, K., Gressard, L., DeGroff, A., Gersten, J., Robie, J., Leadbetter, S., … & Butterly, L. (2017). Increasing colonoscopy screening in disparate populations: Results from evaluating patient navigation in the New Hampshire Colorectal Cancer Screening Program. Cancer, 123(17), 3356–3366. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.30761.
Said Al Alawi, H. A. (2021). Split dose bowel preparation before colonoscopy of PEG (Nulytely) in comparison to routine single dose bowel preparation. Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology.
Walter, B., Klare, P., Strehle, K., Aschenbeck, J., Ludwig, L., Dikopoulos, N., … & von Delius, S. (2019). Improving the quality and acceptance of colonoscopy preparation by reinforced patient education with short message service: results from a randomized, multicenter study (PERICLES-II). Gastrointestinal endoscopy, 89(3), 506-513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gie.2018.08.014.
write