Authors (including presenting author) :
Lee LH (1), Leung WYC (1), Lo YF(1), Wong SYJ(1), CHENG FYH(1), LEE HWH(2), LEUNG LYK(2), TSE TKM(2), TSANG HMK(2)
Affiliation :
(1) Clinical Oncology Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital; (2) Information Technology Department, Kowloon Central Cluster, Hospital Authority
Introduction :
The manual booking process for the Chemotherapy Day Center has long been a burden, requiring extensive staff involvement and leading to inefficiencies. Clinics and ward staff must call the Day Center to schedule appointments, resulting in potential delays and errors as they manually assign time slots and record admission details. With approximately 90 to 100 patients daily booking and over 400 different infusion schemes, along with a tight schedule where 36 chairs serve 80-90 patients in 2 to 3 turns, this method increases the risk of mistakes and miscommunication. To address these challenges, the Smart Booking System was developed to streamline the booking process and enhance patient management.
Objectives :
The primary goal of this project was to create and implement a Smart Booking System for the Chemotherapy Day Ward. This innovative system aims to improve workflow efficiency, enhance booking accuracy, and reduce the administrative burden on staff, ultimately benefiting patients.
Methodology :
The Smart Booking System integrates a comprehensive array of features to streamline patient management. Ward nurses collaborated with the IT team to customize workflows and address administrative challenges. The system uses a robust database for real-time booking, optimizing time slot usage and allowing quick adjustments, especially during ward closures due to adverse weather. Key features include instant access to appointment and admission slips, automatic calculations of infusion set requirements, and an Aseptic Dispensing Unit (ADU) page for effective pharmacy communication. The ADU confirmation page ensures real-time updates, improving coordination and reducing patient wait times.
Result & Outcome :
Post-implementation results show significant operational improvements. Appointment booking time decreased from 5 minutes to 1 minute, and the error rate in bookings fell to zero, ensuring timely treatment. Time spent counting daily infusion set usage dropped from 120 minutes to 5 minutes, allowing staff to focus more on patient care. The average waiting time for patients to start chemotherapy after admission was reduced from 12 minutes, enhancing comfort. The number of patients waiting outside due to full occupancy decreased from average 20 per day, with an average wait of 30 minutes, to fewer than 5 patients per day, averaging under 10 minutes. Data reporting time was cut from 20 hours to just 1 hour per month, increasing staff-patient interaction. Overall, the Smart Booking System has transformed the patient admission process, enhancing efficiency and meeting the growing demand for chemotherapy services while freeing up valuable staff time for direct patient care.
