Spotlight Overview:
As demand for electrophysiology procedures continues to grow, health systems must continually evaluate workflows to improve efficiency while maintaining high-quality patient care. In this CardiQ Spotlight, Jill Schaeffer, MSN, CRNP, FHRS, CCDS, CEPS and Carimar Leon, BS, RCES, RCIS share how their organization redesigned the implantable loop recorder (ILR) implantation process by transitioning procedures from the EP lab to the pre-procedure area. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, thoughtful workflow redesign, strategic use of advanced practice providers, and continuous refinement, they demonstrate how operational innovation can reduce procedural bottlenecks, improve patient throughput, and enable every member of the care team to practice at the top of their license.
Why This Matters: Improving quality often means improving the systems that support patient care. This Spotlight demonstrates how thoughtful workflow redesign, multidisciplinary collaboration, and continuous refinement can eliminate operational bottlenecks, enhance efficiency, and create a more seamless experience for both patients and care teams.
CardiQ Framework: This Spotlight demonstrates the following CardiQ Framework pillars:
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Prepare: Identify procedural bottlenecks, evaluate workflow delays, and recognize opportunities to improve patient throughput by transitioning ILR implantation outside the EP lab. |
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Engage: Build support among physicians, APPs, EP staff, cath lab staff, neurology, hospital leadership, and credentialing committees to gain consensus for change. |
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Design: Redesign the ILR implantation workflow by defining APP responsibilities, optimizing staffing, developing new documentation and billing processes, and establishing standardized procedures. |
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Implement: Train APPs and staff, transition procedures to the pre-procedure area, refine patient education, and continuously improve workflows as operational challenges arise. |
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Report: Evaluate the impact of the new workflow by monitoring procedural efficiency, patient throughput, and operational improvements while identifying opportunities for further refinement. |
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Sustain/Scale: Share lessons learned with peer organizations, leverage professional networks, and continue refining the process to support long-term success and broader adoption. |
1. Identifying the Opportunity for Workflow Redesign
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Increasing demand for EP procedures and growing procedural backlogs prompted the team to rethink how implantable loop recorders (ILRs) were implanted. Learn how shifting ILR procedures from the EP lab to the pre-procedure area — and expanding the role of advanced practice providers — helped improve patient access while increasing procedural efficiency. Estimated viewing time: xx minutes. |
2. Building the Right Team
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Redesigning the workflow required more than relocating the procedure — it required rethinking how people and resources were utilized. Learn how EP and cath lab staff collaborated to leverage existing expertise, optimize staffing, and support safe, efficient ILR implantation outside the EP laboratory. Estimated viewing time: xx minutes. |
3. Overcoming Implementation Barriers
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Successfully transitioning ILR implantation outside the EP lab required more than a new workflow. Hear how the team navigated credentialing, administrative approvals, billing, documentation, training, and electronic health record workflows to safely implement the new process while keeping physicians focused on higher-complexity procedures. Estimated viewing time: xx minutes. |
4. Refining the Process Through Experience
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Successful implementation requires continuous refinement. Learn how the team improved patient education, clarified expectations before the procedure, strengthened communication across the care team, and continuously refined the workflow based on real-world experience. Estimated viewing time: xx minutes. |
5. Sharing Best Practices for Success
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The team’s greatest advice is simple: don’t reinvent the wheel. Discover why networking with peer organizations, learning from existing programs, and enabling every team member to practice at the top of their license can help organizations implement new workflows more efficiently and sustainably. Estimated viewing time: xx minutes. |
Putting It Into Practice
- Identify workflow bottlenecks that limit patient access and procedural efficiency.
- Leverage multidisciplinary expertise so every team member can practice at the top of their license.
- Expect implementation challenges and refine workflows as you gain experience.
- Learn from peer organizations rather than building a new process from scratch.
- Continuously evaluate and improve workflows to sustain long-term success.