Avoiding Same-Day Cystoscopy Cancellations by Veterans: Nurse-Led Education Improved Efficiency For Cystoscopy in VA Urology Clinics

摘要

Same-day cancellation of outpatient cystoscopy was recognized as a growing problem in a New Mexico Veterans Administration regional urology clinic. A mul-tidisciplinary team initiated a performance improvement project using the VA-TAMMCS method to address the problem. The resulting changes in patient education significantly reduced cystoscopy cancellations and improved overall patient satisfaction. Optimizing care of our nation's veterans remains an urgent concern that has been at the forefront of the healthcare continuum in recent years. In an effort to provide excellent care for veterans appointed to a regional Veterans Administration (VA) urology clinic in the most timely manner, our urology team reviewed clinic attendance and noted that same-day cancellations for cystoscopy procedures was increasing. Same-day cancellation of procedures is a challenging problem, which is costly and delays care for other patients. A performance improvement initiative revealed that better patient education could greatly reduce cancellations.