Consumer-focused preadmission testing: a paradigm shift.

The current trend in the health care environment is to redesign the delivery of services to make them customer friendly as opposed to hospital convenient. The paradigm shift meets and exceeds customers, expectations by bringing the points of service to the patient. Preadmission testing is accomplished by specially educated, registered professional nurses, who complete the nursing assessment, laboratory work, electrocardiograms, social and rehabilitative services referrals, and patient teaching in a primary care framework. This redesign results in a cost savings for the institution, increased patient and physician satisfaction, and decreased idle time for patients and staff.