Improving new patient access for patients with colorectal cancer.

Abstract

131 Background: Colorectal cancer is a common and lethal disease. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has seen an increase in patients who want colorectal cancer treatment. This increase has had a negative result on the referral to appointment cycle time for new patients. Responding to this, Colorectal split from GI in 2010 and separate processes were developed. A performance improvement team was identified in September 2011 with the goal to decrease the referral to appointment cycle time for colorectal patients. Methods: The PI team Aim Statement was to facilitate patient access to the Colorectal Center by decreasing the days of referral to appointment by 10% within the first year. A retrospective study was conducted of the access data for the previous two years. A comprehensive 3-week audit of access center staff and processes was completed. A key component of project success was process standardization and staff education for the new patient communication. A physician designed and presented colorectal practice guidelines and education to the access staff to helped staff identify the correct first appointment type. Scripting was developed to establish clear patient expectations of their responsibilities obtaining medical records; the structure of the first visit; and to provide consistent answers to FAQ to improve access and the patient experience. Access teams were formed and new processes created for receiving and responding to first patient communication. Scheduling templates were revised to accommodate the increased patient volume. Staff work schedules were adjusted to accommodate the workload. There were also many “quick fixes” identified such as implementing separate fax/phone numbers for Colorectal and GI. Results: Within two years, new patient access time decreased from 19.48 days in fiscal year 2011 to 15.76 days in fiscal year 2012 through May 2012, a 19% decrease. The highest access month in fiscal year 2011 was 29 days and the lowest access month in fiscal year 2012 was 12.71 days, while realizing a 15% increase in referrals. Conclusions: The team realized success with the decrease in access time which provided a better quality patient experience. The next step is to further reduce access time by focusing on a different access process for local patients.