Currently some UCSF outpatient clinics do not open their scheduling until one month prior ie - you have to call in late January or early February for a clinic appointment in March. This results in multiple calls to the clinic to see if the appointment schedule has been released yet. Recommend tracking the number of calls for appointments that cannot be made due to the schedule not being released as well as patient clinic call wait times. Then recommend releasing the clinic schedules earlier for patient appointments and tracking calls and call wait times.
Have all surgical pick lists reviewed to streamline equipment and disposables opened for OR cases. Have new hire attendings review pick lists rather than use old pick lists with items that may not be used. Consider having a competition for each surgical service to streamline pick lists and reduce the most amount of OR waste. Waste reduction can be calculated for one month after the pick lists have been updated with a pizza party and/or recognition in UCSF news - for the "greenest" surgical department
As it stands now, per diem healthcare workers have to provide for their own private health insurance. I would like to see a UC sponsored health insurance option catered to provide for our per diem healthcare workers, especially our per diem RN's. Ideally it would be a win-win situation if well-devised and may possibly earn the University money as well as provide for the per diems. I am not a financial expert, but there are many out there.
THIS IS APPLICABLE TO ALL MEDICAL SITES AS A LOT OF PAPERWORK COULD BE DONE VIA SIGNING ON A COMPUTER TABLET----- ALL PATIENTS - IN AND OUT PATIENT LOCATIONS ARE GIVEN A TON OF PAPERWORK TO SIGN-- THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO PUT EVERYTHING ON A TABLET , SCROLL TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR MORE DOCUMENTS AND HAVE PATIENT OR GUARDIAN OR RESPONSIBLE PARTY OR SPOUSE SIGN ON THE TABLET AS THIS COULD BE AUTOMATICALLY SCANNED AND SAVED IN APEX----TOO MANY FORMS ARE GIVEN WITH DUPLICATES THAT PATIENTS DO NOT EVEN HAVE TIME TO READ, ENDING UP IN THE RECYCLING BIN OR GRABAGE----- ALL THE FORMS CAN BE STOR
The majority of test ordering now occurs directly by providers entering orders on computer screen, from simple labs up to MRI and Nuclear Medicine imaging. I believe that simply having the cost of that test on the screen might have a profound impact on ordering of unnecessary or reflexive testing. A prime example would be of coagulation studies that residents still routinely order on moderately ill admissions and on pre-op patients without bleeding histories.
Nearly every time I walk to/from a different building on the SFGH campus, I am asked by at least one patient for directions. While I don’t mind walking patients to their destinations as per Service Excellence training, I have been late to meetings (and almost a couple of interviews for prospective staff) by doing this. Also, I do not always have the expertise to know which patient appointments are in which buildings/floors/etc.
When I was a case manager on the floors, it became apparent to me that patients had no idea that the hospital encouraged them to leave before 12 noon. There is nothing in their admit paperwork that addresses this idea and I have yet to hear a physician push for this when discussing discharge with their patients. Yet, this is a goal year after year of the hospital. There are several simple fixes for this problem.
A group of expectant mothers will be provided their childbirth education and MD visits during the same time. Prenatal classes provided as a group with each woman stepping out into a private corner of the room for her MD visit. All is discussed in the group setting. These same mothers meet after childbirth. Relationships are formed, support developed, and less expense for prenatal care. Happier patient and family. This is being done in other medical centers. Has showen improved compliance with medical care and appointments, less calling the physician, etc.
I think it would be great if instead of printing all the lab requisitions, a bar code could be printed that when scanned would have the labs that need to be resulted. That would save the environment and and in turn save money by not having to buy as much paper. The lab reqs often print an extra page that is nearly blank that is not needed as well.