Date of Conferral

6-26-2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Brenda Kulhanek

Abstract

This quality improvement initiative is focused on the lack of transportation as a significant barrier to obtaining health care services for patients with severe psychiatric disorders. Transportation issues remain an important factor that hinders the attainment of health care services by the members of this population. Transportation challenges should be addressed as much as possible for improving healthcare accessibility and providing timely care. Prior to the implementation of the transportation service, only 30% of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) attended their scheduled appointments, demonstrating the need for intervention. This project focused on whether providing transportation services would improve compliance with follow-up appointments in psychiatric patients. The goal of the quality improvement initiative coordinated by the clinic was to improve attendance for patients with severe mental illness by ensuring transportation services are readily available for the clients. Data were collected from two locations of a mental health clinic over six months from October 2024 to March 2025. Patients were notified about this service through emails, text messages, and phone calls. The project set a target goal of achieving at least 50% appointment attendance by the sixth month of implementation. This target was substantially exceeded at both clinic locations, with attendance rates reaching as high as 82.0% by March 2025. This represents a 173.33% increase in patient appointment compliance. This intervention demonstrates how addressing transportation barriers can improve patient outcomes, potentially reduce emergency department use, while providing a model for nursing practice that addresses social determinants of health.

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