Improving NTFGH Medical Social Worker (MSW) Response to Inpatient Referrals from Business Office (BO)
Care Process & Redesign
National University Health System Quality Improvement
National University Health System
31 December 2021
Reduce MSW response time to Business Office (BO) referrals from 19 working days to 3 working days. Optimized referral workflows significantly improved patient and organizational outcomes, reducing financial risk.
Year Submitted: 2021
Published Date: 31 December 2021
Tags: Care Process ＆ Redesign, Quality Improvement, Workflow Redesign, Access To Care, Turnaround Time, Job Effectiveness, Operational Management, Financial Management
About this Content
Aims
Reduce MSW response time to Business Office (BO) referrals from 19 working days to 3 working days.
Background
BO referrals for financial assistance faced long delays (median 19 days), leading to patient anxiety and organizational debts.
Methods
Introduced NeMSW email alerts, revised guidelines, and educated MSWs on workflow improvements.
Results
Reduced median response time to 3 working days, with enhanced communication and workflow consistency.
Conclusion
Optimized referral workflows significantly improved patient and organizational outcomes, reducing financial risk.
Lessons Learnt
Open communication and understanding system limitations are essential for sustainable workflow improvements.
Keywords
Financial Assistance, Workflow Redesign, MSW
Innovators' Details
Innovators' Details
Healthcare Cluster(s) | National University Health System |
Organization(s) Involved | Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Jurong Community Hospital |
Platform(s) | National University Health System Quality Improvement |
Healthcare Professional Group(s) | Allied Health, Healthcare Administration |
Applicable Specialty or Discipline | Medical Social Workers, Healthcare Administrators |
Project Lead(s) | Chew Tee Kit |
Project Member(s) | Chin Chi Hsien |
Connect with this contributor!
Chew Tee Kit - tee_kit_chew@nuhs.edu.sg
Project Attachment
C203_NTFGH_JCH_QM_2021_Improving_NTFGH_MSW_Response_to_Inpatient_Referrals_from_Business_Office.pdf