The Challenge
Occupational Therapy services were experiencing significant scheduling delays that undermined continuity of care and created frustration for patients and clinicians alike. New patients waited an average of 11 days for their first appointment, and follow-up patients waited approximately 9 days.
These delays increased cancellations, disrupted treatment plans, and placed constant pressure on a team already working hard to manage demand.
The Approach
The improvement team mapped the full referral-to-appointment process from end to end and identified multiple sources of unnecessary delay. The redesign focused on:
- Eliminating manual transcription steps that were adding time without adding value
- Removing redundant handoffs and unnecessary verification requirements from the booking process
- Automating key booking steps to make the process faster and more reliable
- Standardizing appointment types, documentation requirements, and patient communication to reduce variation and rework
The Outcome
Wait times for new patients dropped by 91 percent, reaching an average of just one day. Follow-up patients saw a 95 percent reduction, with waits falling to half a day.
The number of process steps was reduced from 14 to 10, a 30 percent simplification. Automation eliminated transcription errors entirely, making the process both faster and safer. Staff gained better control over their schedules and could plan their work with far greater confidence.