Standardized Contact Process Based on Physician Preferences Saves Nurses Time

A standardized contact process could reduce the amount of time nurses spend trying to get a hold of physicians, according to an Innovation Snapshot published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The standardized contact was developed and implemented at St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima, Ohio, in 2006. The process required nurses to contact physicians based on their contact preferences and schedules. The physician contact system is designed to eliminate reliance on error-prone processes, including use of paper-based records and answering machines.

 



A 2006 pilot study of the standardized contact process found that 84 percent of all attempted contacts directly reached the physician on the first call, resulting in an estimated 6,900 hours of saved time for nurses during the year.

For more details on this process, such as the planning and development process and adoption considerations, click here.

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