Reducing Waiting Time in the Cardiology Clinic at AIC Kijabe Hospital, Kenya | ACQUIRE QI-PS 2026

Josphat Muchoki shares how the AIC Kijabe Hospital team reduced patient turnaround time in the cardiology outpatient clinic. Patients were spending an average of 215 minutes in the clinic, which caused congestion, delayed clinical decisions and left patients tired and dissatisfied. The team set a target of 180 minutes between July and October 2026. Mapping the journey from registration to pharmacy showed the main delays at the cashier, consultation and triage waiting areas. A fishbone analysis, patient and staff interviews and a Pareto chart pointed to the number one pain point: every patient was given the same appointment time. The team introduced staggered hourly appointment times, had the cashier start at 7:30 instead of 8:00, wrote comprehensive discharge summaries with clear instructions for the next visit, and added clinic signage so patients no longer got lost. Staggered appointments and the earlier cashier start made the biggest difference, giving a more predictable clinic flow and fewer delays. The team will keep monitoring turnaround time and plans to spread the changes to its satellite clinics. Their key learning: understand the process before testing changes, and use baseline data to target the changes most likely to help. Team leadership: Josphat Muchoki Ndungu Sponsorship: Dr George Otieno Mentorship: Wambui Makobu Team: Brian Kimani, John Kariuki, Mercy Mwaniki Chapters 0:00 Introduction 0:32 Problem statement 1:21 Target and baseline 1:47 Process map 2:12 Root causes 2:43 Key drivers and interventions 3:32 Results 3:49 Sustain plan 4:22 Impact 4:56 Key learning and next steps 5:31 Feedback and celebration This project is part of the 2026 ACQUIRE Quality Improvement-Patient Safety (QI-PS) Experiential Leadership Program, where frontline health workers across sub-Saharan Africa learn improvement science by leading real change in their own facilities. Quality takes a team! Learn more: https://acquirefrontline.org #QualityImprovement #PatientSafety #PatientExperience #Kenya #ACQUIRE