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Healthcare Inspection – Alleged Manipulation of Outpatient Appointments, Central Alabama VA Health Care System, Montgomery, Alabama

Report Information

Issue Date
Report Number
15-03942-392
VISN
State
Alabama
District
VA Office
Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Report Author
Office of Healthcare Inspections
Report Type
Hotline Healthcare Inspection
Recommendations
0
Questioned Costs
$0
Better Use of Funds
$0
Congressionally Mandated
No

Summary

Summary
OIG reviewed an allegation that clinics cancelled appointments 30 minutes prior to the appointments, indicating manipulation of performance measures at Central Alabama VA Health Care System (CAVHCS), Montgomery, AL. We did not substantiate the allegation that clinics cancelled appointments 30 minutes prior to the appointments in an attempt to manipulate performance measures. We randomly selected and reviewed 276 electronic health records (EHRs) for patients with appointments cancelled by selected clinics prior to appointment times during the 1st and 2nd quarters of fiscal year 2015. We found that two appointments were cancelled within 30 minutes of the scheduled appointment times; both patients had subsequent visits within 14 days of the appointment dates. We found that of 42 same-day clinic cancellations, 39 (93 percent) appointments were rescheduled; however, 26 (67 percent) appointments were not rescheduled within 14 days of the original appointment date. Although some appointments were not rescheduled “timely,” we found that 267 (97 percent) appointments were rescheduled and that 253 (95 percent) rescheduled appointments resulted in completed visits. We did not find indications in the EHRs we reviewed that the cancellations were suspicious. We did not identify suspicious patterns or trends in CAVHCS-wide data that could indicate non-compliance with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) scheduling guidelines. Further, as CAVHCS has consistently performed in the bottom 20 percent of all VHA facilities in access to care measures, it appears less plausible that staff participated in large-scale, coordinated efforts to manipulate appointment times. We made no recommendations.
Recommendations (0)