Premium
Throughput efficiency and service quality after process redesign at a cancer day care unit: Two sides of the coin?
Author(s) -
De Pourcq Kaat,
Gemmel Paul,
Trybou Jeroen,
Kruse Vibeke
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
european journal of cancer care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1365-2354
pISSN - 0961-5423
DOI - 10.1111/ecc.12918
Subject(s) - medicine , throughput , service (business) , quality (philosophy) , univariate , unit (ring theory) , sample (material) , emergency medicine , statistics , computer science , psychology , telecommunications , philosophy , chemistry , mathematics education , economy , mathematics , epistemology , chromatography , multivariate statistics , economics , wireless
This study was designed to focus on the patient perspective in a reorganisation of care processes at a cancer day care unit (CDU). The effects of dose banding and of taking blood samples one day (or more) before the day care treatment (on Day −1) are investigated in terms of throughput efficiency and perceived service quality . Data were collected by mapping patient processes in detail and surveying patients in two CDUs at a university hospital ( n = 308). A univariate model was used to investigate the effect of these factors on patient throughput time, and perceived service quality was examined with multiple linear regression. Taking blood samples on Day −1 decreases patient throughput time and increases the perceived service quality by improving the patient's perception of technical expertise and the outcome. This has a globally positive effect on patients' perceived service quality. Dose banding affected neither patient throughput time nor perceived service quality. Taking the pretreatment blood sample on Day −1 can be considered an important process design characteristic, as it increases both efficiency and service quality.