THE SOLUTION

To achieve the above goals, Maartje and Femke optimized the planning process at the tactical and operational level. The Thorax Center also slightly increased surgical and clinical capacity in the clinic and we worked on the relationship with referring physicians in the area.

The project consisted of two phases:

Phase 1: Bottleneck Analysis

Using interviews with all relevant stakeholders and far-reaching data analysis, we identified the bottlenecks that led to inefficiencies and hindered planning:

• Long waiting lists (12-14 weeks versus 1-2 weeks at other cardiac centers) that affected the patient experience and reputation of the Thorax Center
• Unreliable scheduling and frequent last-minute changes
• Incorrect estimates of surgery time
• Cancellations due to capacity issues and incomplete pre-operative preparation

Together with the Thorax Center, we created an action plan focusing on four areas:

1. Pre-operative patient preparation
2. The tactical and operational planning process, including utilization of available capacity
3. Access to care and quality of referrals
4. Internal and external communication

Phase 2: Implementation

To implement the necessary changes, a multidisciplinary project team was formed. Every week we thus discussed project progress, distributed tasks, monitored results and introduced new work routines.

IMPACT

In the three months following the implementation of the new practice, the number of open heart surgeries had increased significantly, by more than 25%. The waiting list also decreased from 12-14 weeks to 2-3 weeks. The heart center then implemented the new way of working to achieve the full desired increase in production (see also our publication).