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, FPA Access Center; Sadiqa Horne; RN, BSN Senior Director, Access Center Operations; Lauren Lipschutz, Director, FPA Administration
BACKGROUND 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
CHALLENGES
Our New Patient Triad Strategy has yielded faster access and shorter waits to enhance patient satisfaction.
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)
① Percentage of Templates with a Late Releasing Block Utilized Create Near-Term Capacity with Late Releasing Blocks
48%
52%
50%
48%
53%
53%
52%
43%
Unlocked additional near-term appointment slots, accommodating more new patients efficiently with a better show rate.
33% 28%
13%
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
METHODS Jun-23
Jul-23
Aug-23
Sep-23
Oct-23
Nov-23
Dec-23
Jan-24
Feb-24
Mar-24
Apr-24
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
Percentage of New Patient Appointments Booked in 14 Days
Auto-Add New Patients with Long Lead Times to Wait List
46% 44%
2. Automated Wait Lists: • Automatically enlist new patients with lead times exceeding 28 days onto a wait list, ensuring timely offers for earlier appointments
Streamlined adding new patients onto waitlist with scheduling process when wait time exceeds 28 days.
42% 40%
46% 44%
43%
42%
43% 41% 41%
41% 39%
44% 42%
42%
40% 40%
38%
40% 38%
41% 41%
40% 40%
39%
45% 45% 45%
44% 41%
37%
36% 34% 32% 30%
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
3. Epic Fast Pass Technology: • Automated notification to waitlisted new patients of sooner appointment times as they become available ③
Fast Pass Days Improvement
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.
35
300,000 250,000
30 25 20 15
200,000 150,000 100,000
10 5 0
50,000 Jan-23 Feb-23 Mar-23 Apr-23 May-23 Jun-23 Jul-23 Aug-23 Sep-23 Oct-23 Nov-23 Dec-23 Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Total Days Improvement 104,951 113,443 131,925 131,907 279,231 176,595 159,111 183,152 172,105 175,785 151,739 145,644 195,721 180,034 186,334 Avg Days Improvement 27 30 29 31 34 29 28 30 30 32 32 29 32 31 35
Total Days Improvement
40
Avg Days Improvement
• 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
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.