TY - JOUR T1 - Using quality improvement methodology and tools to reduce patient wait time in a paediatric subspecialty rheumatology clinic JF - BMJ Open Quality JO - BMJ Open Qual DO - 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001550 VL - 10 IS - 4 SP - e001550 AU - Bayardo Garay AU - Denise Erlanson AU - Bryce A Binstadt AU - Colleen K Correll AU - Nora Fitzsimmons AU - Patricia M Hobday AU - Allison Hudson AU - Shawn Mahmud AU - Mona M Riskalla AU - Sara Kramer AU - Sheng Xiong AU - Richard K Vehe AU - Danielle R Bullock Y1 - 2021/12/01 UR - http://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/10/4/e001550.abstract N2 - Our paediatric rheumatology clinic has experienced inefficient patient flow. Our aim was to reduce mean wait time and minimise variation for patients. Baseline data showed that most waiting occurs after a patient has been roomed, while waiting for the physician. Wait time was not associated with a patient’s age, time of day, day of the week or individual physician. We implemented a checkout sheet and staggered start times. After a series of plan–do–study–act cycles, we observed an initial 26% reduction in the variation of wait time and a final 17% reduction in the mean wait time. There was no impact on patient–physician contact time. Overall, we demonstrate how process improvement methodology and tools were used to reduce patient wait time in our clinic, adding to the body of literature on process improvement in an ambulatory setting.No data are available. Deidentified participant data were used in this study. Data are not in a repository and are not available for reuse. ER -