Trustees of Dartmouth College, Batalden, Godfrey, Nelson
Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
One way to understand inefficient processes and interrupted flow is by using the Unplanned Activity Card. The Unplanned Activity Card assists the team in identifying waits and delays in the process of providing smooth and uninterrupted patient care. Once the interruptions or delays are uncovered, teams can generate and test improvement ideas.
Directions
Download the file and have each provider carry the card during a patient session and document when and why patient care is delayed or interrupted. Put a "tic" mark for each incident of unplanned activity or Indirect Patient Care "Pulls." This tool can be adapted for any role in the practice to discover interruptions in workflow.
