OBJECTIVES: To determine and evaluate the time clinics needed to complete the sub-processes involved in the first-fitting and follow-up fitting of people with a cochlear implant. METHODS: Eight HEARRING clinics completed a questionnaire recording how long it took to complete the sub-processes involved in first-fitting and follow-up fitting cochlear implant recipients. The mean times of clinics and procedures were then compared. RESULTS: Questionnaires on 77 patients were completed. Clinics varied widely on time spent on each sub-process in both first- and follow-up fittings. Total first-fitting times were similar across clinics. Follow-up fitting times varied more across clinics although this may have been due to differences in questionnaire interpretation. DISCUSSION: If a patient management plan can help increasingly busy cochlear implant clinics provide high-quality care more efficiently, essential first steps are determining which procedures are generally performed and how long their performance takes. Until reliable data are gathered, constructing a patient management plan or reaping the potential benefits of its use will remain elusive; clinics will have to find what solutions they can to meet rising workload demands. CONCLUSION: The variation in time spent on each sub-process may suggest that some clinics have more efficient workflow procedures. Compiling a best practice for each process could be instrumental in creating a professional process management plan that would increase efficiency without sacrificing quality of care.
OBJECTIVES: To determine and evaluate the time clinics needed to complete the sub-processes involved in the first-fitting and follow-up fitting of people with a cochlear implant. METHODS: Eight HEARRING clinics completed a questionnaire recording how long it took to complete the sub-processes involved in first-fitting and follow-up fitting cochlear implant recipients. The mean times of clinics and procedures were then compared. RESULTS: Questionnaires on 77 patients were completed. Clinics varied widely on time spent on each sub-process in both first- and follow-up fittings. Total first-fitting times were similar across clinics. Follow-up fitting times varied more across clinics although this may have been due to differences in questionnaire interpretation. DISCUSSION: If a patient management plan can help increasingly busy cochlear implant clinics provide high-quality care more efficiently, essential first steps are determining which procedures are generally performed and how long their performance takes. Until reliable data are gathered, constructing a patient management plan or reaping the potential benefits of its use will remain elusive; clinics will have to find what solutions they can to meet rising workload demands. CONCLUSION: The variation in time spent on each sub-process may suggest that some clinics have more efficient workflow procedures. Compiling a best practice for each process could be instrumental in creating a professional process management plan that would increase efficiency without sacrificing quality of care.
Authors: Andrew J Redmann; Kareem Tawfik; Theresa Hammer; Lisa Wenstrup; Shawn Stevens; Joseph T Breen; Ravi N Samy Journal: Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol Date: 2021-03-26