Table 2.
Time and motion study for manual referrals processing
| Task | Observations (n) | Time spent (s), mean ± SD | How is this optimized by Referrals Automation? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move a fax to folder and open it | 28 | 8 ± 6 | Automate and avoid duplication of effort |
| Look up patient in EHR | 29 | 16 ± 13 | |
| Review required information | 17 | 39 ± 27 | |
| Missing info: call referring provider | 2 | 226 ± 106 | Not currently addressed |
| Update demographics, primary care physician, and emergency contacts | 20 | 77 ± 35 | Auto-fill information, system-assisted |
| Update guarantor, insurance, coverage | 19 | 65 ± 48 | |
| Verify insurance | 15 | 21 ± 27 | |
| Update missing insurance details | 5 | 28 ± 35 | Not currently addressed |
| Create referral object in EHR | 25 | 59 ± 19 | Auto-fill information, system-assisted |
| Add relevant patient visit notes | 25 | 21 ± 24 | Not currently addressed |
| Set scheduling status | 12 | 17 ± 15 | Not currently addressed |
| For external referral (notify department, flag, fax referring provider) | 5 | 90 ± 55 | Not currently addressed |
| Find patient info and call patient | 17 | 175 ± 148 | Smart scheduling with patient input |
| Send fax to referral provider | 6 | 16 ± 6 | Not currently addressed |
| Log referral in EHR | 14 | 14 ± 6 | Automate |
| Other miscellaneous administrative tasks | 13 | 73 ± 48 | Not currently addressed |
| Cumulative mean time | 719 ± 48 |