The Specific Timely Appointments for Triage Model in Telehealth Psychotherapy

Abstract

Problem: An outpatient telehealth psychotherapy clinic had a consistent waitlist of new patients requesting an appointment, waiting an average of five weeks. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) initiative was to reduce the time it took new patients requesting appointments to be scheduled, from five to two weeks. Methods: Incorporated were concepts from The Specific Timely Appointments for Triage (STAT), an evidence-based model used to redesign service interventions by eliminating waitlists while planning for future appointments based on the current demand for a service. Fourteen call-back services using STAT model concepts were conducted by the clinic’s one intern. Each patient shared their psychiatric concerns, were matched with one of four providers, and then scheduled in the clinic’s electronic health record. A chart audit was performed to determine how many days it took each client to be scheduled for their first appointment. Results: The project was implemented over a fifteen-week period in Fall 2023. The goal was to establish the STAT model’s validity in redesigning workflow to meet the service demands of the clinic. Various contextual barriers, including limited staff availability and poor timing in communication, inhibited project success. Of the fourteen patients who received a call-back, three were scheduled within four weeks. For the other patients, a limitation in communication between the providers and front desk administrator stalled patient scheduling time considerably and limited the number of appointments scheduled, ultimately effecting the project results. Conclusions: Findings suggest that redesigning service interventions through eliminating waitlists and by planning for future appointments could help the clinic keep up with demand. Despite the barriers, numerous qualitative findings found during project implementation highlight opportunities for future QI initiatives with similar aims.