Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39246851›Full record

ArticleCureus2024

Decreasing Patient Visit Length at a Student-Run Free Clinic via a Continuous Quality Improvement Project.

Miranda J Reid, Ethan Kramer, Alexandria Iakovidis, Jamie B Harris, Rene M Kronlage, Amy Stanley, Carolyn Holland

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Miranda J ReidDepartment of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
Ethan KramerDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
Alexandria IakovidisDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
Jamie B HarrisDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
Rene M KronlageDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
Amy StanleyDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
Carolyn HollandDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe University of Florida Equal Access Clinic Network (EACN) is the largest student-run free clinic (SRFC) network in Florida. This student-driven, continuous quality improvement (CQI) project is intended to decrease total patient visit length at Eastside clinic, one of EACN's primary care sites. The original median visit length of 126.25 minutes represented a significant time burden for patients, especially those with limited transportation or inflexible schedules.

methodsOver six months, four Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were implemented. PDSA cycle 1 increased personnel and space for taking vitals. PDSA cycle 2 reduced redundancy in the intake process. PDSA cycle 3 triaged patients to match patient complexity with student experience level. PDSA cycle 4 introduced "nudge" interventions to reinforce clinic flow. Total patient visit length and time spent at each step of clinic flow were recorded anonymously for each patient visit. The median visit length per week was tracked on a run chart.

resultsFrom PDSA cycle 1 through PDSA cycle 4, the median visit length decreased from 126 minutes to 114 minutes. This shift was primarily driven by a decrease in the length of patient intake from a median of 19 minutes to 9 minutes. The run chart did not show clear trends until PDSA cycle 4, which demonstrated a strong downward trend.

conclusionThis study demonstrated the ability of a student-driven CQI model to decrease patient visit length in an SRFC setting. Similar models could be used to address this and other contributors to patient experience across SRFCs nationwide.

Indexed as

continuous quality improvement (cqi)patient's satisfactionplan-do-study-act (pdsa)quality improvement researchstudent-run free clinic

Identifiers

PMID39246851
PMCPMC11380804

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.