Authors (including presenting author) :
Lau WH, Phoebe Lai FS ,Harris Chan TK , Chan BY, Leung SH
Affiliation :
(1) Yau Mei Tei Jockey Club General Outpatient Clinic, KCC FM & GOPC
Introduction :
There are high patient volume for blood taking service in Yau Ma Tei Jockey Club General Outpatient Clinic (YMTJC GOPC), it was counted approximately 200 to 250 patients attended clinic daily for blood taking service. Though there were many improvement measures had been implemented for enhancement of the blood taking service in the past few years, the ultimate root causes and service gaps are still existed, such as uncontrolled and uneven distribution of blood taking demand, clinic overload especially on the working day just after long public holidays. In addition, patients mostly were not intended to follow the scheduled blood taking appointment time and date that would lead to prolong waiting time, long standing queue, increase patient conflict and stressful workload to staff for morning queue handling. With the aim to improve the blood taking service in YMTJC GOPC, enhancement program was planned from Oct 2018, and successfully implemented in April 2019.
Objectives :
1) Identify the service gaps in existing blood taking service 2) Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of blood taking service. 3) Shift first-come-first-serve system to appointment booking system 4) Eliminate the crowd waiting area and long standing queue 5) Increase job satisfaction to staff.
Methodology :
1) Assign working group to coordinate the blood taking service program. 2) Identify the service gaps and obtain feedback from all frontline staff through regular nurse meetings. 3) Review quota distribution according to service needs 4) Shift first-come-first-serve system (practice has been used for over 15years) to appointment booking system. 5) Enhance staff training on appointment booking and advocating the punctuality of the patients for the blood taking service in proactive manner 6) Change the patient culture through education with written information (a reminder) given during booking. 7) Set internal service pledge : provide service within 15 minutes of scheduled booking time. 8) Enhance manpower arrangement and staff job allocation. 9) Relocate the waiting area for patients. 10) Provide proactive assistance to frontline staff in implementation of the new blood taking workflow. 11) Evaluate the effectiveness of the enhancement program.
Result & Outcome :
There are positive outcomes of the enhancement program. The ultimate goals were achieved. Post implementation data was collected to evaluate the effectiveness of the enhancement program, numbers of patient in morning queue for blood taking before gate opening decreased by 75%, 93% of patients who turned up on scheduled time could be served on time, 60% were entertained before scheduled time, 33% were completed blood taking within 15 minutes, In general the standing queues for blood taking services are obviously decreased in waiting hall, and positive feedback from patients were obtained. In addition, resulting in maximize the resource of the manpower, increase the efficiency of blood taking service, and the nursing and supporting staff are generally capable to take proactive role in assistance the patients for blood taking. In the enhancement blood taking program, effective leadership, common goal, team work and staff engagement are crucial to strive for service enhancement.
