The Royal Glamorgan Hospital
Meeting targets at The Royal Glamorgan Hospital
Achieving performance targets was a priority at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital Pharmacy. The managers were also keen to prove they had enhanced the patient experience and improved the department’s efficiency. A Patient Flow Management system was the obvious solution.
The setting
As a large modern department of a new hospital, the Royal Glamorgan Pharmacy was looking for a way to measure its performance. The management was also looking for information to support its Key Performance Indicators (KPI) whilst giving patients and staff a more relaxing atmosphere. The busy pharmacy serves mostly local people in the South Wales area, and historically patients had to queue whilst waiting for their prescriptions. In addition, the management had no way of measuring the department’s efficiency or estimating how long patients had to wait for their prescriptions. In order to keep patients informed and to measure their efficiency, the pharmacy management decided to invest in a Patient Flow Management solution.
The purpose
Together with the pharmacy management the experts at Qmatic worked out a tailor-made Patient Flow Management solution for the department. The result would serve several purposes. It would:
1. Improve the customer experience by eliminating queues, allowing patients to sit down in a comfortable seating area whilst waiting. It would also allow patients to leave the pharmacy and return once their prescription was ready. Patients would be reassured as they knew how long their prescriptions were likely to take.
2. Give patients a clear view of how their prescriptions were progressing at all times, giving patients an in process feeling.
3. Give patients increased privacy.
4. Enable management to measure waiting times and patient volumes over time, identifying both slow and busy periods and as a result, manage staffing accordingly.
5. Improve efficiency as the pharmacy would be able to avoid bottlenecks at peak times.
6. Generate accurate statistics for future planning regarding staffing and budgeting.
7. Give the department a more professional image as pharmacy staff would be able to give patients accurate information on expected waiting times as soon as patients come in.
8. Allow staff to work in a more relaxed atmosphere without patient queues building up in front of them.
The Solution
The solution chosen by Qmatic and the pharmacy management meets all the department’s requirements. As soon as the patients come into the pharmacy and take a ticket, the Qmatic system starts monitoring their progress. Simultaneously, the prescription’s journey through the department is tracked and the pharmacy’s performance can be measured through the data generated by the system. The system captures key data at every point of contact between patient and pharmacy staff.
On arrival
As patients arrive and hand in their prescription, the receptionist issues a double numbered ticket using the ticket printer by the entry point. Using information generated by the QMATIC system, the staff can inform the patients of their expected waiting time. The double ticket is divided in two; one part staying with the patient and the other with the prescription.
While waiting
While patients are waiting for their prescriptions, they can see live waiting time information on a wall mounted LCD display at all times. The system shows data such as expected waiting times and ticket numbers being served. The display is also used for calling patients to the counter as their prescriptions are ready. The patients’ privacy is respected at all times as no names are used for calling them forward. In addition to the visual function, patients are also alerted by a bell sound as their ticket number comes up; the audio function being facilitated by flush ceiling mounted speakers.
At the counter
Pharmacy staff call patients to the counter by using a keypad linked to the LCD screen in the waiting area. The Qmatic system also allows the management to see waiting information and transaction times on a computer screen in the dispensary area. The service times are measured by the system, allowing management to gauge efficiency.
Management
The statistical information provided by the system allows the manager to see how many patients have been served over time on any particular day, week, month or year. They can also see details such as number of patients visiting the pharmacy between certain times, such as every Monday between 1pm and 2pm for example. This data can then be used for future planning, ensuring the department can meet its targets.
Going forward
As patients now take a ticket and sit down in a comfortable waiting area instead of queuing, there is less stress and anxiety in the pharmacy. The pharmacy is now looking to extend the Qmatic system to include more users, which will enable the manager to view the management information from his office in a neighbouring hospital. In addition, as the manager now has access to a wealth of information on patient volumes, waiting times and transaction times, key data will be used for staffing, planning and ultimately to ensure the department meets its targets and improves its KPIs. It will also be used to prove to the Trust’s management team that the pharmacy has improved both its performance and its patient care, following a recent work programme involving re-engineering of processes. Continuous training and follow up will ensure the management uses the statistical information generated by the system to its full potential.