title: Measuring the value of process improvement initiatives in a preoperative assessment center using time-driven activity-based costing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The value and impact of process improvement initiatives are difficult to quantify. We describe the use of time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) in a clinical setting to quantify the value of process improvements in terms of cost, time and personnel resources.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Difficulty in identifying and measuring the cost savings of process improvement initiatives in a Preoperative Assessment Center (PAC).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Use TDABC to measure the value of process improvement initiatives that reduce the costs of performing a preoperative assessment while maintaining the quality of the assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Apply the principles of TDABC in a PAC to measure the value, from baseline, of two phases of performance improvement initiatives and determine the impact of each implementation in terms of cost, time and efficiency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through two rounds of performance improvements, we quantified an overall reduction in time spent by patient and personnel of 33% that resulted in a 46% reduction in the costs of providing care in the center. The performance improvements resulted in a 17% decrease in the total number of full time equivalents (FTE's) needed to staff the center and a 19% increase in the numbers of patients assessed in the center. Quality of care, as assessed by the rate of cancellations on the day of surgery, was not adversely impacted by the process improvements.
authors.affiliation: The Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: KEFrench@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Katy E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Cancer Care Innovation, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Albright
authors.affiliation: The Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Frenzel
authors.affiliation: The Department of Business Analytics, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Incalcaterra
authors.affiliation: The Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Augustin C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Cancer Care Innovation, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: The Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Feeley
keywords: Cancer; Costs of care; Performance improvement; Preoperative assessment; Quality; TDABC