Streamlining Workflow for Inpatient Scheduling in Vascular Laboratory
Care Process & Redesign
National University Health System Quality Improvement
National University Health System
25 March 2026
To reduce the average number of calls required for scheduling inpatients of Ng Teng Fong Hospital's Vascular Diagnostic. The limitation in this project is acknowledged as the baseline data was not collected hence may not be representative.
Year Submitted: 2025
Published Date: 25 March 2026
Tags: Care Process ＆ Redesign, Access To Care, Waiting Time, Operational Management, Scheduling ＆ Planning, Productivity, Time Saving, Workflow Redesign, Information ＆ Communication Technology, Other ICT
About this Content
Aims
To reduce the average number of calls required for scheduling inpatients of Ng Teng Fong Hospital's Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) from 24 calls to 2 calls per 10 inpatients a week between March 2025 and December 2025.
Background
In the last one year, the average number of calls required to schedule inpatient appointments had increased from 10 calls to 24 calls per 10 inpatients a week. Contributing factors included phone lines being out of service or unattended. The vascular technologists were spending excess time on the phone in their efforts to reach the ward. This inefficiency has caused disruption to the workflow and operations of the lab.
Methods
Driver diagram development to identify primary and secondary drivers, impact vs implementation priority matrix for intervention selection, PDSA cycles with progressive implementation from 2 pilot wards to 4 wards then all wards, process mapping before and after implementation, development of chart notes template for scheduling instructions, staff satisfaction questionnaires for vascular technologists and ward nurses, and data collection on compliance and punctuality.
Results
Successfully achieved 100% of inpatients scheduled via charting in final weeks
Reduced phone calls significantly (target of 2 calls per 10 inpatients achieved)
Staff satisfaction scores improved across all measured areas (ease of obtaining schedule/preparation instructions: 2.27 to 1.96, ease of contact: 2.50 to 4.12, overall experience: 3.77 to 4.00)
Non-compliance mainly due to portering issues (19 cases) rather than scheduling problems
Zero no-show patients maintained throughout implementation
Positive staff feedback on simplified chart notes and reduced calling requirements
Lessons Learnt
The limitation in this project is acknowledged as the baseline data was not collected hence may not be representative. The key learnings from this project include the importance of reviewing the initial stages of data collection to ensure relevance and quality of the data collected. A future project should strive to establish a more accurate baseline before initiating interventions. The collaboration with nurses was vital in spreading the change, as well as gathering feedback which was essential for identifying issues and making necessary adjustments for a successful implementation of the project.
Keywords
inpatient scheduling, vascular laboratory, workflow, chart notes, phone calls, staff satisfaction
Innovators' Details
Innovators' Details
Healthcare Cluster(s) | National University Health System |
Organization(s) Involved | Ng Teng Fong General Hospital |
Platform(s) | National University Health System Quality Improvement |
Healthcare Professional Group(s) | Allied Health, Healthcare Administration, Nursing |
Applicable Specialty or Discipline | Allied Health, Diagnostic Radiography, Healthcare Administrators, Operations, Nursing, Nursing Research |
Project Lead(s) | Zhou Yuheng |
Project Member(s) | Tay Yong Ren |
Connect with this contributor!
Zhou Yuheng - yuheng_zhou@nuhs.edu.sg