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Now that you've completed 10-12 trackings, here's the good news: The tedious and hard work is over! Here comes the fun part. To be able to see the patterns of dysfunction in your current patient visit process and identify the root problems, you need to translate your trackings into graphic process "maps". When you then post these maps on flip chart sheets on the walls of a conference room, you can study them as a group. Within a couple of hours, you will be able to diagnose the key problems with your current visit process.

For example, often the first observation redesign teams and managers make after studying the maps is: "We blame our patients for frequently being late and getting us behind schedule. But, it appears they are almost always early." Maps help kill myths and see truths.

So get yourself a flip chart pad, some juicy markers, and download the Visit Mapping ToolKit (PDF). Do this work conscientiously and with great curiosity and you will be well rewarded. No less an authority than Oliver Wendell Holmes reminds us that "A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience."

Remember: You cannot do this step without first completing Step 1: Study the Patient Experience.

After completing your maps and distilling the patterns of dysfunction and root problems with your current visit process, proceed to the next article: Step 3: Collecting Baseline Data.