Cardiology External and Internal Factors Affecting Wait Times
Question :
This week, you will analyze and develop a strategy for the scenario that follows:
A large health system recently implemented its annual system-wide patient satisfaction survey. The survey results indicate that patient satisfaction has dropped sharply in the last year due to long wait times for specialty care appointments.
How would you solve this problem?
Choose a specialty that you are familiar with such as endocrinology, nephrology, neurology, cardiology, etc.
Research and discuss external factors and internal factors that might have an effect on wait times for appointments in this specialty service.
Provide at least three recommendations that the head of the specialty department should consider to address the external and internal issues you identified.
Support your analysis and recommendations using at least two credible sources.
Answer :
Introduction
A large health system recently implemented a survey to understand the patient satisfaction level using software/system. The results indicated that the satisfaction level of the patients had dropped considerably in the last 12months. The reason for this was the long wait times.
As a result, the external, as well as the internal factors, will need to be evaluated to pinpoint the reason(s) for the gap.
Cardiology
External factors affecting wait times:
The external factors that can affect the wait time for patients at the cardiology unit are:
· Patient socio-demographic – This refers to the interaction between the physician and the doctor. The average patient handling time goes up if the patient is unable to understand what the doctor says. It could be both in terms of diagnosing the complication as well as following the instructions as advised by the doctor.
· Co-operation of the patient – The co-operation of the patient, along with the level of involvement, is important to maintain the quality of the service. The clinical outcome is largely dependent on the extent to which the patient co-operates. In case the patient has to return, it again increases the average patient handling time (Health, Burghard & Byron Scott, 2018).
· The severity of the complication – This is yet another factor that can have a direct effect on the wait time. A doctor cannot just hurry up. Whatever minimum care has to be extended else, the quality will suffer.
Internal factors affecting wait times:
The internal factors would be the following:
Competence of the physician appointed by the health care facility – Cardiology is a domain that is largely dependent on the technical ability and knowledge of the physician. The most important factors that influence the quality of care and the handling time of the patients are:
· Expertise.
· Examination procedure and commitment towards the patient.
Satisfaction and motivation of the physician – The job satisfaction of the cardiologist is an important factor in delivering quality service, including a short average patient handling time. For this, the nine factors that need to be considered are:
· Physician pay.
· Working environment.
· Management leadership.
· Co-operation from co-workers.
· The policy of the healthcare facility.
· Recognition.
· Job identity.
· Service security.
· Prospects.
Resources and facilities – The type of resources and facilities available have a direct effect on the quality of the service. It is very crucial in cardiology since it is a specialized field. Lack of the required resources and facilities can lead to longer work cycles (Mosadeghrad, 2019).
Recommendations/Solution
It is important to have a good understanding between the patient and the doctor (cardiologist). If the patient follows the doctor’s advice, it would not only help the patient to recover quickly,the chances of relapse will drastically decrease, thereby leading to fewer re-admissions.
The technical skills and the knowledge of the doctor have to be updated. For this, physicians must have access to the Internet, latest journals and other information sources.
The motivation and the satisfaction level of the cardiologists should be accessed so that any concern or issue can be properly addressed. It will help to reduce dissatisfaction (if any) in the physician team.
References :
Health, W., Burghard, C., & Byron Scott, F. (2018). Three challenges cardiology practices face in a value-based world - Watson Health Perspectives. Retrieved 12 October 2019, from https://www.ibm.com/blogs/watson-health/three-challenges-cardiology-practices-face-value-based-world/
Mosadeghrad, A. (2019). Factors Affecting Medical Service Quality. Retrieved 12 October 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4450689/
