In a healthcare environment where efficiency and accessibility often determine the quality of patient outcomes, Evora collaborated with a prominent Victorian tertiary hospital to address a pressing challenge: optimising outpatient clinic utilisation. With over 90 specialist clinics serving more than 150,000 outpatients annually, the hospital sought to enhance productivity, reduce costs, increase patient throughput, and lower waiting times.
The hospital’s existing strategy, predicated on a 10% Did Not Attend (DNA) rate assumption aligned with the national average, involved overbooking appointments to mitigate the impact of patient no-shows. While pragmatic on the surface, this approach often led to increased service costs due to frequent clinic overruns. Staff were required to work overtime to accommodate the overbooked sessions, escalating costs and creating inefficiencies that impacted both the hospital’s financial sustainability and patient satisfaction.
Evora’s proven expertise in leveraging reliable, high-quality data to deliver actionable insights provided the foundation for a bold transformation. The result was not only a significant operational improvement but also measurable enhancements in patient care and experience, cementing the value of a collaborative, data-driven approach.
The journey began, as all Evora projects do, with a rigorous examination of data collection standards, definitions, and methodologies. Recognising that flawed or inconsistent data can compromise even the best analytical models, Evora worked closely with the hospital’s stakeholders to ensure a shared understanding of the challenge at hand.
Drawing from critical reference documents like the Victorian Specialist Clinics Access Policy and the Victorian Integrated Non-Admitted Health (VINAH) Minimum Dataset Manual, Evora identified gaps and inconsistencies in existing DNA definitions. For example, the term “Failed to Attend” was applied differently across departments, while non-relevant cases—such as paediatric patients, hospital-initiated cancellations, and reschedulings—were often erroneously included.
By refining and standardising these definitions, Evora established a robust baseline for analysis, paving the way for meaningful insights. This meticulous groundwork not only ensured data integrity but also fostered consensus among clinicians, administrators, and other stakeholders, aligning them behind a shared objective.
With a reliable dataset in hand, Evora conducted a detailed historical analysis to identify key drivers of DNA rates. Moving beyond simplistic averages, the team uncovered nuanced correlations that revealed why certain patient cohorts were more likely to miss appointments. Notable findings included:
These insights enabled Evora to develop a predictive algorithm that estimated DNA risk at both the patient and clinic levels. By integrating this tool into hospital workflows, administrators gained the ability to proactively address underlying barriers to attendance, transforming the outpatient experience.
Armed with data-driven insights, the hospital implemented a suite of targeted interventions designed to enhance clinic efficiency and equity in patient care. Key measures included:
The results of this initiative were transformative, demonstrating the power of data when paired with strategic action:
The project also delivered a compelling financial return on investment. Prior to implementation, the hospital faced a net loss of $66 per service event, with $58 attributed to non-clinical costs. By increasing session utilisation from 7 to 8 patients, the hospital achieved savings of $7.25 per service event, translating into an annual cost reduction of approximately $1 million.
These savings were reinvested into further innovations, creating a virtuous cycle of improvement that continues to benefit the Victorian community.
This project exemplifies Evora’s commitment to delivering sustainable, data-centric solutions that balance operational efficiency with patient-centric care. Through meticulous analysis, stakeholder collaboration, and tailored interventions, Evora and its client transformed outpatient service delivery, setting a new benchmark for specialist clinic management.
For the Victorian community, the benefits are clear: shorter wait times, more equitable access, and a healthcare system better equipped to meet the needs of all its patients. This case study is a testament to the power of partnership and the profound impact of leveraging data to drive meaningful change.
