Pre-admission testing is essential for adult elective procedures to ensure patient safety and positive outcomes. Unfortunately, the existing strategy often results in longer wait times, which is detrimental to patient satisfaction (Bouamrane & Mair, 2014). This project aims to address the issues causing prolonged wait times in pre-admission testing and implement targeted interventions to streamline the process, ultimately improving patient satisfaction.

Problem Description

Adult elective surgery pre-admission testing poses a severe issue characterized by extended wait times and consequent patient dissatisfaction (Stafinski et al., 2022). Healthcare systems worldwide struggle to balance providing excellent patient care and efficiently allocating resources (Badakhshan et al., 2015). Longer wait times, repeated appointments, delayed test results, and redundant testing are all consequences of the current inefficiencies in pre-admission testing. This problem is especially severe at the Brooklyn hospital under consideration since the current procedure is very complicated, requiring patients to make several trips to various sites, resulting in inadequate provider coordination (Bouamrane & Mair, 2014). The resulting strain on resources reduces patient satisfaction and hampers the hospital’s ability to fulfill elective surgery obligations promptly. Reducing patient suffering, maximizing the use of available resources, and enhancing the effectiveness of the global healthcare system all depend on addressing these systemic inefficiencies (Stafinski et al., 2022). The complex procedure of Pre-admission testing increases patient’s anxiety and lowers overall patient satisfaction. By addressing the root causes for prolonged wait times for pre-admission testing, the quality improvement project hopes to improve patient satisfaction, thus improving healthcare delivery’s overall effectiveness.

Local Problem

Long wait times and the resulting patient dissatisfaction with the pre-admission testing procedure are severe local issues. The current process has developed into a complex system requiring patients to experience insufficient coordination between healthcare professionals, frequent visits across several sites, and repetitive or incomplete testing. Patients experience discomfort and anxiety because of this complexity, which also adds more pressure to an already strained institution. The problem is made worse by the hospital’s misallocation of personnel, resources, and equipment, which makes it more challenging to satisfy the needs of patients scheduled for elective surgeries. The unfavorable consequences like delayed diagnosis, increased pain and discomfort, inefficiency in resource allocation, and additional financial burden reverberate throughout the healthcare system, frustrating patients and medical staff. This makes it difficult for the hospital to meet its responsibilities, which results in extended wait times and a noticeable decline in patient satisfaction. The well-being of individual patients and the medical institution’s overall effectiveness and reputation in offering high-quality elective surgical treatment depend on resolving this local issue.

Available Knowledge

The existing literature provides a foundation for comprehending the complex nature of pre-admission testing procedures; this literature offers insightful information about pre-operative assessment clinics (PACs) and the difficulties connected with waiting periods for elective surgery. The research by Bouamrane and Mair (2014) provides insight into creating and applying a patient access code (PAC) at the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in Scotland. The multidisciplinary team approach used by the PAC, which consists of anesthetists, auxiliary nurses, and nurses, highlights the need for cooperation in maximizing patient readiness for surgery (Bouamrane & Mair, 2014). The Normalization Process Theory (NPT) provides a conceptual framework that clarifies the variables affecting the PAC’s effective integration. The literature emphasizes the importance of efficient information management procedures for the patient’s surgical route.

Research conducted by Badakhshan and colleagues (2015) highlights the worldwide issue of waiting periods for cardiac procedures, especially in light of the growing number of heart surgery facilities. The research at an Iranian hospital highlights the need for healthcare policy to overcome financial obstacles by identifying economic status as a critical factor in waiting times (Badakhshan et al., 2015). It also emphasizes how crucial patient education and participatory management are to raising patient happiness and improving the efficacy of healthcare as a whole.

Furtherm