Date of Award

Fall 2023

Project Type

Clinical Doctorate

College or School

CHHS

Department

Nursing

Program or Major

DNP

Degree Name

Other

First Advisor

Gene Harkless

Second Advisor

Cathleen Colleran

Abstract

The United States has a critical healthcare access issue for gastroenterology patients. Delays in treatment can lead to expensive complications, including emergency room visits, hospitalization, and surgery. Creating a rapid-access clinic (RAC) for gastroenterology so that patients can obtain a quick and efficient evaluation of their symptoms in a shorter appointment time can help decrease the delay in care and generate more revenue for the hospital. Over 8 weeks in 2023, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Department of Gastroenterology used a telemedicine-only RAC to see patients for 20 minutes rather than the traditional 60-minute period. As a result, the RAC saw more new patients in 1 day than a provider usually sees per week. Patients benefited from being seen in a faster amount of time. Additionally, the clinic generated a significant revenue increase due to timely patient test ordering. Thus, an RAC could be an effective, life-saving measure for gastroenterology patients by helping to manage the healthcare shortage.

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