Using real time locating systems (RTLS) to redesign room allocation in an ambulatory cancer care setting.

157 Background: Growing clinics need innovative ways to maximize capacity to ensure efficiency, a core element of quality care. Providers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) are assigned specific exam rooms for each clinic day. Despite room utilization below 50%, providers reported feeling constrained, and patients waited an average of 15 minutes to room. Furthermore, in February 2014, DFCI consolidated two facilities requiring that clinics absorb an immediate 10% increase in patient volume using available capacity. We sought to redesign the exam room allocation process by leveraging RTLS. Methods: Using computer simulation, we compared three options for allocating exam rooms. The simulation indicated a “pooled” room approach that did not designate rooms to individual providers would minimize patient wait time. A team was assembled to pilot the intervention in one clinic. An algorithm was developed to prioritize patients based on appointment time, arrival time, and provider availability. We utilize...