Open Access Clinic VA Pittsburgh

August 21, 2011

Hi all.

For the past several months, we've been working with a Systems Redesign Team

(Process Engineers) to develop a Rapid Access/Open Access/On Demand PT Clinic

in our high-volume outpatient PT Department. I am pleased to say that we're

accomplishing many goals with this ambitious project. Our missed opportunity

rate (no shows and cancellations after the appt) rate has plummeted from 21% to

11% in 3 months. Our productivity has increased to near full capacity for each

therapist. The patients appreciate the flexibility and there have been numerous

compliments from our PCPs and other stakeholders.

Simply, we are moving toward a system similar to the Med Express walk-in med

clinic models where we'll have 80% of our patients schedule and 20% 'open

access.' Open access is offered for any service except evaluation -- i.e. DME

and follow-up visits. We have developed an Access query that feeds off of our

electronic health record and appointment management software and it runs a few

statistical analyses and pulls the 'most likely to no-show' patients. Our

secretaries call this limited # (instead of everybody the day before the appt)

of patients and often they do end up showing or rescheduling after this targeted

human contact.

Our productivity is optimized as the scheduled cancellations are now filled by

on-the-spot walk-ins.

It's a beautiful system. I am thinking of hosting a video teleconference if

anyone is interested and wants to learn more. It's been a laborious

process--something that sounds easy becomes quite complex. Let me know.

Alan Petrazzi, MPT, MPMRehab DirectorVeterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare

SystemPittsburgh, PA

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