PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Community health centers grapple with high no-show rates, posing challenges to patient access and primary care provider (PCP) utilization.
OBJECTIVE: To address these challenges, we implemented a virtual waiting room (VWR) program in April 2023 to enhance patient access and boost PCP utilization.
METHODS: Academic community health center in a small urban city in Massachusetts.
METHODS: Community health patients (n = 8706) and PCP (n = 14).
METHODS: The VWR program, initiated in April 2023, involved nurse triage of same-day visit requests for telehealth appropriateness, then placing patients in a standby pool to fill in as a telehealth visit for no-shows or last-minute cancellations in PCP schedules.
RESULTS: Post-implementation, clinic utilization rates between July and September improved from 75.2% in 2022 to 81.2% in 2023 (p < 0.01). PCP feedback was universally positive. Patients experienced a mean wait time of 1.9 h, offering a timely and convenient alternative to urgent care or the ER.
CONCLUSIONS: The VWR is aligned with the quadruple aim of improving patient experience, population health, cost-effectiveness, and PCP satisfaction through improving same-day access and improving PCP schedule utilization. This innovative and reproducible approach in outpatient offices utilizing telehealth holds the potential for enhancing timely access across various medical disciplines.
OBJECTIVE: To address these challenges, we implemented a virtual waiting room (VWR) program in April 2023 to enhance patient access and boost PCP utilization.
METHODS: Academic community health center in a small urban city in Massachusetts.
METHODS: Community health patients (n = 8706) and PCP (n = 14).
METHODS: The VWR program, initiated in April 2023, involved nurse triage of same-day visit requests for telehealth appropriateness, then placing patients in a standby pool to fill in as a telehealth visit for no-shows or last-minute cancellations in PCP schedules.
RESULTS: Post-implementation, clinic utilization rates between July and September improved from 75.2% in 2022 to 81.2% in 2023 (p < 0.01). PCP feedback was universally positive. Patients experienced a mean wait time of 1.9 h, offering a timely and convenient alternative to urgent care or the ER.
CONCLUSIONS: The VWR is aligned with the quadruple aim of improving patient experience, population health, cost-effectiveness, and PCP satisfaction through improving same-day access and improving PCP schedule utilization. This innovative and reproducible approach in outpatient offices utilizing telehealth holds the potential for enhancing timely access across various medical disciplines.
摘要：
背景：社区卫生中心的高缺席率，对患者获取和初级保健提供者(PCP)的利用构成挑战。
目标：为了应对这些挑战，我们在2023年4月实施了一项虚拟候诊室(VWR)计划,以增强患者的可及性并提高PCP的利用率.
方法：马萨诸塞州一个小城市的学术社区健康中心。
方法：社区健康患者（n=8706）和PCP（n=14）。
方法：VWR程序，始于2023年4月，涉及护士对当日就诊要求的远程医疗适当性进行分流，然后将患者放置在备用池中，以作为远程医疗就诊，以检查PCP时间表中未出现或最后一刻取消的情况。
结果：实施后，7月至9月的诊所使用率从2022年的75.2%提高到2023年的81.2%(p<0.01)。PCP的反馈普遍是积极的。患者平均等待时间为1.9h，提供紧急护理或急诊室的及时和方便的替代方案。
结论：VWR符合改善患者体验的四重目标，人口健康,成本效益，通过改善当天访问和提高PCP时间表利用率来提高PCP满意度。这种在门诊办公室中利用远程医疗的创新和可重复的方法具有增强跨各种医学学科的及时访问的潜力。
目标：为了应对这些挑战，我们在2023年4月实施了一项虚拟候诊室(VWR)计划,以增强患者的可及性并提高PCP的利用率.
方法：马萨诸塞州一个小城市的学术社区健康中心。
方法：社区健康患者（n=8706）和PCP（n=14）。
方法：VWR程序，始于2023年4月，涉及护士对当日就诊要求的远程医疗适当性进行分流，然后将患者放置在备用池中，以作为远程医疗就诊，以检查PCP时间表中未出现或最后一刻取消的情况。
结果：实施后，7月至9月的诊所使用率从2022年的75.2%提高到2023年的81.2%(p<0.01)。PCP的反馈普遍是积极的。患者平均等待时间为1.9h，提供紧急护理或急诊室的及时和方便的替代方案。
结论：VWR符合改善患者体验的四重目标，人口健康,成本效益，通过改善当天访问和提高PCP时间表利用率来提高PCP满意度。这种在门诊办公室中利用远程医疗的创新和可重复的方法具有增强跨各种医学学科的及时访问的潜力。
