Using Operational Analysis to Improve Access to Pulmonary Function Testing

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dc.contributor.authorIp, Ada
dc.contributor.authorAsamoah-Barnieh, Raymond
dc.contributor.authorBischak, Diane P.
dc.contributor.authorDavidson, Warren J.
dc.contributor.authorFlemons, W. Ward
dc.contributor.authorPendharkar, Sachin R.
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-27T11:24:25Z
dc.date.available2018-09-27T11:24:25Z
dc.date.issued2016-04-07
dc.date.updated2018-09-27T11:24:24Z
dc.description.abstractBackground. Timely pulmonary function testing is crucial to improving diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary diseases. Perceptions of poor access at an academic pulmonary function laboratory prompted analysis of system demand and capacity to identify factors contributing to poor access. Methods. Surveys and interviews identified stakeholder perspectives on operational processes and access challenges. Retrospective data on testing demand and resource capacity was analyzed to understand utilization of testing resources. Results. Qualitative analysis demonstrated that stakeholder groups had discrepant views on access and capacity in the laboratory. Mean daily resource utilization was 0.64 (SD 0.15), with monthly average utilization consistently less than 0.75. Reserved testing slots for subspecialty clinics were poorly utilized, leaving many testing slots unfilled. When subspecialty demand exceeded number of reserved slots, there was sufficient capacity in the pulmonary function schedule to accommodate added demand. Findings were shared with stakeholders and influenced scheduling process improvements. Conclusion. This study highlights the importance of operational data to identify causes of poor access, guide system decision-making, and determine effects of improvement initiatives in a variety of healthcare settings. Importantly, simple operational analysis can help to improve efficiency of health systems with little or no added financial investment.
dc.description.versionPeer Reviewed
dc.identifier.citationAda Ip, Raymond Asamoah-Barnieh, Diane P. Bischak, Warren J. Davidson, W. Ward Flemons, and Sachin R. Pendharkar, “Using Operational Analysis to Improve Access to Pulmonary Function Testing,” Canadian Respiratory Journal, vol. 2016, Article ID 5269374, 6 pages, 2016. doi:10.1155/2016/5269374
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1155/2016/5269374
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/108134
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/44935
dc.language.rfc3066en
dc.rights.holderCopyright © 2016 Ada Ip et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
dc.titleUsing Operational Analysis to Improve Access to Pulmonary Function Testing
dc.typeJournal Article
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