Improving Same-Day Access in Pediatric Primary Care-A Patient-Centered and Timeliness Quality Improvement Initiative.

Abstract

Introduction: Preventive care visits have increased for United States children, shifting access for problem-based visits and shifting same-day availability to other venues.

Problem description: Prior to this initiative we lacked sufficient same-day visits in pediatric primary care. We aimed to increase same-day slots and fill >75% of them within 3 months.

Methods: Quality improvement initiative utilizing an inbound and centralized call center model.

Interventions: We iteratively modified scheduling efforts to achieve this goal and identified call-center scheduling efficiencies for fill rate optimization when visits were scheduled under individual providers names added to the general pediatric scheduling department.

Results: This initiative exceeded the aim of filling >75% of same-day slots within 3 months and demonstrated increased access for urgent illness or injury, hospital follow-up, and newborn management via in-house collaboration with pediatric emergency medicine providers and advance practice providers within primary care.