Improving Patient Flow in a Healthcare Clinic Post COVID-19: A Data Validation and Exploratory Analysis Approach

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare clinics have faced increased inefficiencies due to an influx of patients returning to clinical care. The strain on nursing resources leads to long patient waiting times, which can lead to provider burnout and more stressful patient care. Here we compare the electronic medical record (EMR) timestamp data with observational data to understand better the current patient flow at the University Physicians of Charlottesville (UPC) clinic, a primary care clinic within the UVA Health System. Our overarching goal for this study is to propose data-driven solutions to improve clinic efficiency and reduce stress for providers, nurses, and staff. We implemented a two-phased analysis approach. The first phase involved cross-checking the EMR timestamp data with observed data to validate the consistency and reliability of the EMR timestamp data and thus allow us to confidently identify areas of improvement within the clinic, such as peak waiting periods. In the second phase, we used the validated data to analyze the distribution of delays during different appointment stages. Using a discrete event simulation, we recommend solutions that could improve the patient experience and reduce stress on medical personnel. The findings are further supported by graphical analyses of the delays in patient rooming depending on the time of day, length of the appointment, and provider. Overall, the two-phased approach will provide the clinic with a holistic understanding of the causes behind delays in patient care.