New Patient Triad Strategy
A transformative approach designed to enhance new patient access. Comprising three integral components – new patient late-releasing blocks, automated waitlists, and Epic Fast Pass technology this strategy is explored for its collective impact on patient satisfaction, scheduling efficiency, and healthcare delivery
Kelly Cassano, DO CEO, Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice, SVP, Ambulatory Operations, Mount Sinai Health System; Adrin Mammen, MS, MBA, FACHE, VP & Chief, Ambulatory Patient Access; Marcy Cohen, Senior Director, Ambulatory Capacity Management; Bellinger Moye, Project Manager III, Ambulatory Capacity Management; Josiah James, MPH, Project Manager III, Ambulatory Capacity Management; Angela J. Lamb, MD, Medical Director, FPAAccess Center; Sadiqa Horne; RN, BSN Senior Director, Access Center Operations; Lauren Lipschutz, Director, FPAAdministration
BACKGROUND CHALLENGES
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, optimizing patient access is imperative. Mount Sinai Health System has introduced a pioneering New Patient Triad Strategy, integrating three core components: new patient late-releasing blocks, automated wait lists, and Epic Fast Pass technology.
RESULTS
Our New Patient Triad Strategy has yielded faster access and shorter waits to enhance patient satisfaction.
Percentage of Templates with a Late Releasing Block Utilized
Create Near-Term Capacity with Late Releasing Blocks
Unlocked additional near-term appointment slots, accommodating more new patients efficiently with a better show rate.
METHODS
Three Core Components:
1. New Patient Late-Releasing Blocks:
• First release: Set at four increments (7, 14, 21 and 28 days) prior to appointment date
• Second release: Set 3 days prior to appointment date to allow for scheduling new or established patients
2. Automated Wait Lists:
• Automatically enlist new patients with lead times exceeding 28 days onto a wait list, ensuring timely offers for earlier appointments
3. Epic Fast Pass Technology:
• Automated notification to waitlisted new patients of sooner appointment times as they become available
• Patients can digitally accept or decline the offer, alleviating the need for practice staff to make outbound outreach to assess availability and interest in a sooner appointment time
Auto-Add New Patients with Long Lead Times to Wait List
Streamlined adding new patients onto waitlist with scheduling process when wait time exceeds 28 days.
Auto-Offer Sooner Appointments with Fast Pass
Allow for Fast Pass to trigger. Increased number of offers to 4 per hour and now allow for triggers to go out for open slots for the next day.
Implementation Challenges:
• Provider Buy-In: Providers with open access and/or shorter lead times have expressed more reluctance to implement
• Scheduling Lead Times: Longer scheduling lead times have led to longer time to impact (recommendation to implement late-releasing blocks as far out as providers are scheduling at time of implementation)
Still to Come:
• Continued Block Conversion: Achieve system goal to schedule at least 50% of all new patients within 14 days
• Continued Fast Pass Enrollment: Achieve system goal to enroll all providers on Fast Pass to offer sooner appointments as they become available
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
Mount Sinai's New Patient Triad Strategy illuminates the potential of dynamic scheduling and proactive patient engagement to revolutionize patient access, setting a new standard for contemporary medical practice. Its strategic innovation demonstrates transferability, offering valuable insights for adoption by other healthcare organizations seeking to enhance patient access.
This integrated strategy combines digital tools to improve access for new patients in the Ambulatory setting, balancing supply and demand for greater efficiency. This patient-centric approach reduces no-shows, enhances satisfaction, and optimizes healthcare delivery.