Optimize patient access and nurse productivity: AI-powered scheduling with a twist of port draw fast track

Texas Oncology-Round Rock Infusion Center in Austin, Texas, is one of those places that never seems to slow down. It’s a high-volume hub where mornings are crammed with activity, but the afternoons are typically quiet. This imbalance in patient flow caused a significant problem: infusion chairs were running out at peak times, resulting in long waits for patients. It wasn’t just inconvenient; it also affected the nursing staff, who often had to skip their lunch breaks to keep up with demand. Management knew they had to solve this scheduling crisis, especially with market growth on the horizon.

Management tried to solve the problem with incremental process improvements. They capped morning appointments by reducing the volume that they normally see by 25%, but it didn’t work. Patients kept coming, demand kept growing, and the problem persisted. With no easy solutions in sight, the team knew they needed a technological edge to solve this scheduling conundrum, and that’s when they turned to LeanTaaS and its AI-powered software iQueue for Infusion Centers in May 2022.

The partnership with LeanTaaS has yielded fruitful results for Texas Oncology-Round Rock Infusion Center in the following areas:

AI-Optimized Scheduling to Unlock Capacity

LeanTaaS collaborated with Round Rock’s leadership, nursing staff, and scheduling team to create customized scheduling templates tailored to the center’s unique operations and patient scheduling needs. The templates, powered by AI data science, helped Round Rock balance their workflow throughout the day. As a result, they were able to accommodate more daily appointments while allowing nurses to take their much-needed lunch breaks without the stress of overbooking. The immediate impact was obvious: the mornings were no longer chaotic while volume increased by 44%, and afternoons became more productive. 

Improving Port Draw Process Efficiency

With the initial success, the Round Rock team looked for more ways to streamline operations. In a check-in with LeanTaaS, the team identified a bottleneck in the port draw workflow. Previously, patients would have their port draws in infusion chairs, then leave to see a doctor. The chair would remain reserved for them, even if they were gone for a significant amount of time, which meant fewer chairs available for other patients. This also heavily disrupted nursing workflows, as nurses had to manage other tasks while patients came and went.

LeanTaaS assessed the given situation, and advised implementing the Fast Track best practice. Fast Track is a methodology that utilizes a dedicated physical and clinical resource to cohort shorter treatments in the infusion suite. This approach works best for appointments that tend to be relatively short in duration and low in acuity, such as port draws. The management team approved a pilot for a separate port draw Fast Track area. 

Round Rock piloted the port draw station, and it was a resounding success. By removing port draws from the infusion area, they could increase both infusion and port draw capacity. The total volume of combined infusion and port draw continued to increase by 12%, and nursing productivity by 10%. Staff was delighted with the improvement, and operational efficiency soared.

Managing Nurse Staffing Capacity
This year, Round Rock faced another challenge: fluctuating nurse staffing levels. This unpredictability made scheduling difficult, causing stress for both management and nurses. LeanTaaS stepped in with a curated solution that allowed Round Rock to flexibly adjust templates to change staffing capacity. This new approach not only made scheduling more manageable but also reduced the stress of trying to keep tabs on shifting nursing resources.

The partnership between Round Rock and LeanTaaS has proven to be a catalyst for positive change. The results have been positive for everyone: improved patient access, smoother staffing, and an overall more efficient operation. Round Rock has laid a strong foundation for future expansion in the Austin, Texas area. The LeanTaaS team is excited to see the rewarding results and is committed to supporting them as they grow and evolve.

Results:

• 44% increase in daily (scheduled) appointment volume without adding chairs
• 46% increase in nurse productivity (avg daily appts per nurse)
• 21% increase in chair utilization
• 23% increase in daily patient hours
• 38% increase in nurse productivity, with an additional 10% increase after Fast Track implementation