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  • 1.  Virtual Central Team Support

    Posted 11-15-2023 09:16
    Edited by Kim Dixon 11-15-2023 10:21

    I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to the listserv community in search of information and insights regarding the establishment of a centralized team for inbasket management specifically for physicians.

    In our healthcare organization, we have been experiencing challenges with the increasing volume of messages in physicians' inbaskets, leading to inefficiencies and potential delays in patient care. We believe that creating a dedicated team to manage these inbaskets centrally could address these issues effectively.

    I am curious to know if any of you have implemented a similar approach or have knowledge of organizations that have successfully established a centralized inbasket management team. If so, I would greatly appreciate any information or best practices you could share regarding the following:

    1. How was the team structured and organized? Did you assign specific roles and responsibilities within the team?

    2. What software or tools were used to facilitate the management of inbaskets?

    3. How did you ensure effective communication and collaboration between the centralized team and physicians?

    4. What metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) did you track to measure the team's performance and impact on physician productivity?

    5. Were there any challenges or obstacles you encountered during the implementation process, and how did you overcome them?

    6. Any additional insights or advice you may have in establishing a centralized inbasket management team would be highly appreciated.>

    I believe that your experiences and expertise will be invaluable in helping us make informed decisions as we explore this initiative. Your input will not only assist our organization but will also contribute to the broader healthcare community.

    Please feel free to reply directly to this email or share any relevant resources or contacts that you think would be helpful. I will be more than happy to compile and share the information I collect with this community.

    Thank you in advance for your time and support.



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    Kim Dixon, RN, MSN, NEA-BC
    Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Ambulatory
    The University of Kansas Health System
    email:  kdixon@kumc.edu
    office:  913-588-9921
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  • 2.  RE: Virtual Central Team Support

    Posted 11-16-2023 12:15

    Hi Kim,

    I am interested in the responses and also particularly if and how anyone is utilizing MAs to assist with In Basket messages. 

    Thanks,

    Sarah



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    Sarah Vakili
    Clinical Nurse III
    Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
    San Jose CA
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  • 3.  RE: Virtual Central Team Support

    Posted 11-17-2023 07:59

    Hi Kim and Sarah,

    We do not have a central team that works on this, but we are working on a quality improvement project with out Embedded Epic Professionals (EEP) team to manage inbasket more efficiently and effectively with less "forwarding on to the provider" and more investigatory work on the front end to get messages and information processed. Our CMAs and LPNs help with inbasket based on thoroughly developed algorithms that content experts came up with based on research of commonly asked questions by patients. These algorithms are published in a central place. Based on the decision trees, smartphrases were developed with a series of yes or no questions that the CMA or LPN can fill out and lead them to a solution. Based on their answers, pre-prescribed pieces of data are either pulled into their message to the provider, or they are prompted to find certain data in the chart and attach it with their forwarded message. This way, when the message is forwarded to the provider for response, all the information needed to make a clinical decision is at the provider's fingertips. Some algorithms lead directly to "schedule within x days" and only need to be forwarded to the provider as an FYI. 

    This approach could certainly be used in a centralized model, it would just take some frontend work to develop the algorithms with each of the specialties your team would support.



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    Torie Bonnet MSN OCN RN NE-BC
    Clinical Nurse Edu Specialist-Ambulatory Care
    UNC Health
    Raleigh NC

    torie.bonnet@unchealth.unc.edu
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  • 4.  RE: Virtual Central Team Support

    Posted 11-17-2023 11:43
    I am very intrigued about who is doing this as well. We are a system of 8 clinics and are currently using panel managers/LPN's to manage in basket management with MA's as backup. We struggle with the challenge of provider retention at several clinics and are using a variety of locum/per diem providers which creates interesting nuances since the PCP model has shifted.
    We use Epic as the EHR with My Chart portal and with value based care, what KPI's would be instrumental in measuring client based care versus number of messages?

    Toni Kempner, MSN, RN
    Regional Nurse Manager
    East County Health Center 600 NE 8th St, Gresham, OR 97030
    Rockwood Health Center 2020 SE 182nd, Portland, OR 97233
    Multnomah County Health Department 
    Portland, OR 97209
    503-969-6989 work cell phone

    This email was encrypted for your privacy and security





  • 5.  RE: Virtual Central Team Support

    Posted 11-19-2023 18:34

    I am so very interested in this workflow because we too are looking to best support inbox management!

    Any insight is appreciated!

    thanks,
    Melissa



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    Melissa Taylor, MSN, RN, AMB-BC, NE-BC
    Director of Ambulatory Nursing-Primary Care
    Elliot Health System
    Manchester, NH 03103
    Mtaylor@elliot-hs.org
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  • 6.  RE: Virtual Central Team Support

    Posted 11-20-2023 10:30

    Also very interested to see how other practices/ clinics are practicing. 



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    Jennifer Pickering MSN RN MEDSURG-BC
    Clinical Manager
    The Miriam Hospital
    Providence RI
    774-265-0539
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