Six Strategies for Improving Patient Flow

Whether attending a scheduled appointment or seeking emergency care in a hospital, visiting a healthcare provider is a multi-step process, and patients move through several touchpoints for a single encounter. Inefficiencies at any touchpoint create bottlenecks, increasing wait times and decreasing patient satisfaction. A well-structured patient journey can make or break your medical facility’s efficiency and the patient experience. 

What Is Patient Flow?

Patient flow refers to patients’ movement through various stages of care in a healthcare facility. From scheduling an appointment to checking out after seeing a doctor, the patient journey involves many steps. 

Why Patient Flow Matters 

Improving patient flow improves patient safety and quality of care, increases revenue and enhances patient satisfaction. According to Eugene Litvak, PhD, an expert in the field of patient flow, when facilities prioritize patient flow, it would “accelerate progress toward reliable, safe, efficient care.”¹ When patients move through departments efficiently, they get diagnosed and treated faster, which is especially important in emergency departments and hospital settings. Resources such as staff and medical equipment are optimized, lowering operating costs and limiting waste. Smooth transitions from one touchpoint to another create a positive experience for patients.

Improving patient flow involves creating an environment that quickly, efficiently and effectively meets the demand for patient care by moving them through the care pathway. Optimizing patient flow also involves coordinating care and prioritizing patient safety for improving health outcomes. The best patient flow ensures patients receive timely, appropriate care; providers, staff and resources are allocated efficiently; and bottlenecks are minimized. 

Implement and Optimize SEO

Once your information is online, patients need to find it. That’s where SEO comes in. SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” and it helps your practice appear higher in a list of Internet search results. According to Net One Click, a marketing agency specializing in small and mid-sized medical practices, most patients begin their healthcare search on Google, and the top three map results get the most clicks.³ 

When you implement SEO, you give search engines the information they need to find your practice, and when done correctly, it ranks higher in search results, meaning it will (ideally) be within the first several business listings. SEO involves developing a well-structured website and clear, descriptive page titles with relevant content, including keywords, helping search engines understand who you are, what you offer and how you can help patients. It not only sends more traffic to your website, but also establishes your practice as a trusted leader in your field. 

You can implement SEO yourself, but you may opt to hire an expert to help. Many marketing firms specialize in SEO for medical practices; their expertise may be worth the expense, especially as AI reshapes how people find answers online.

Six Strategies for Improving Patient Flow

1) Assess the situation. The first step toward better patient flow is to evaluate current patient flow, assess throughput and look for bottlenecks:

• Map the layout of your facility. Think about it from the patients’ perspective. Is its layout logical and easy to navigate, or does it leave patients guessing or lost? The layout should be logical and flow from one touchpoint to another.
• Follow the patient journey. Choose a sample of random patient visits on a variety of days and times. Log the timestamps for every step. How long does each touchpoint take? Do you ever retrace your steps? Do you observe any redundancies? Are staff members actively involved with patients?
• Collect data. Use analytics to pinpoint problem areas.
• Find bottlenecks. Look for places where patients wait the longest. These are the places to prioritize.
• Analyze schedules. Compare bottlenecks between patient arrivals and provider schedules to find the reason for the delay.
• Ask for feedback. Ask staff and patients for their perspective. Identify nonclinical tasks that contribute to slower patient transitions.

2) Streamline workflows. Next, create an ideal patient journey and standardize the clinical workflow for every step so every department follows the same patient flow process. Consider every touchpoint, including scheduling, check-in, registration, intake, workup, testing, exams, clinical discussions and check-out. Then, match each step with an actionable solution. For example, if you discover that filling out forms stalls the patient journey, consider implementing an online check-in for patients to complete before arriving for their appointment. If you find exam rooms sit empty, implement a flag system or digital clinical dashboard to track exam room status. 

3) Leverage technology. There are myriad technological tools designed to make administrative tasks easier and more efficient. From simple digital check-ins to comprehensive, AI-powered smart hospital platforms, there’s a solution to unify fragmented systems and coordinate patient-centered care. Explore digital check-in software, digital queue management, smart scheduling algorithms, real-time tracking systems, inpatient tracking dashboards, digital wayfinding apps, AI-powered predictive volume forecasting and automated secure messaging (to name a few). Technology saves time, allowing providers and support staff to focus on the patient rather than paperwork. 

4) Restructure schedules. In the clinical setting, a well-structured appointment schedule is crucial for optimal patient flow. The first rule of thumb? Avoid overbooking. Find out how many patients a provider can realistically see in an hour, and stick to that number. Also important: Develop criteria for various types of appointments (new patient, new concern, follow-up, annual wellness visit, same day/sick visit, urgent care/walk-in, etc.), and align appointment lengths with them. Limit the number of staff authorized to overwrite schedules. Stagger patient arrival times so patients don’t all arrive at the same time, which can cause long lines and longer waits. Stagger lunch breaks for providers and medical staff. 

5) Improve communication. Patients interact with many departments during a given visit. A provider may order imaging or tests, prescribe medicines or refer patients to another provider. Utilize a centralized database to make collaboration seamless and efficient. Further, make it easy for patients to communicate with the facility and provider. Utilize a patient portal to connect patients with providers and information in their electronic medical record such as test results, clinical notes, after-visit summaries and upcoming appointments.

6) Train your staff. Offer regular, ongoing training to your staff. Reinforce the importance of time management, communicate updated workflows and emphasize the goal of patient safety and satisfaction. Hold your own training sessions, or encourage staff to attend seminars on effective communication, office organization and time management.  

Better Flow, Better Outcomes

A smooth, efficient office is the goal, and the more you know about how your facility currently operates, the better equipped you will be to implement changes. Efficient patient flow shows patients their time is valuable. It prioritizes their care while also maximizing your time and resources. Well-managed care systems do more than make workflows easier and more efficient; they ensure patients receive the care they need when they need it.