FC03
Complex Changes MS Healthcare: Indirect Care
Cleveland Clinic (CC) Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis (Mellen) takes care of 7,000 MS patients annually with 70% participation in MyChart (MC). As part of a CC-wide continuous improvement (CI) initiative, Mellen is becoming a model area for CI. In complement, Mellen participated in CC’s A3 program. A3 teaches participants how to tackle complex problems through CI methods. Mellen administrative assistants (AA) participated in A3 to improve workflows and reduce job-related stress by reducing phone call volume. Two years ago, AAs switched from a system in which each AA was assigned individual practices- to a task-based system- where each AA rotates completing a series of tasks for all Mellen providers. This improved task completion within required turn-around times, but daily task volume varied leading to unequal work distribution.
Objectives:
Mellen develops CI skills through manager and frontline model area training. Mellen A3 team participates in root-cause problem solving training to facilitate the model changes. The A3 project goals are to improve efficiency of AA indirect care management, reduce time AAs spend on the phone, and improve employee satisfaction.
Methods:
CI model area training includes six manager and four frontline training sessions. The manager course included a Gemba walk to another model area that completed CI training to see where the work happens.
A3 combines training and coaching in a 12-week program. Mellen A3 team included: AAs and two team leads with goals to reduce total call times and leverage task-based approach. A3 enabled AAs to work as a team to improve turnaround time by clearing MC in basket before noon on Mondays (MC Mondays), when an average of 60 MC messages accumulate from the weekend.
Results:
Mellen AAs created a visual management board, recorded daily volumes of MC messages, and created a strategy for managing MC Mondays and other high volume days. AAs work together and now clear weekend MCs by 11 AM on Mondays. As a result, Mellen AAs have seen a 2% reduction in abandoned calls, 15 minutes less of daily overall call time, and drop in total call volume from 127 to 116 daily. Each AA has seen an improvement in the management of high volume tasks and as a result of MC Monday.
Conclusions:
Mellen team has seen a reduction of call volumes as a result of implementing MC Mondays, and A3 participation will continue to help facilitate the transition to a CI model area.