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Related Experiment Videos

Outpatient clinics. Down the line.

John Lloyd1, David Dillon, Kartik Hariharan

  • 1Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport.

The Health Service Journal
|January 23, 2003
PubMed
Summary

A new telephone booking system significantly reduced orthopaedic outpatient waiting times by 53 weeks. This initiative also decreased patient no-shows and generated substantial cost savings for the hospital.

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Area of Science:

  • Healthcare Management
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Long waiting times for orthopaedic outpatient appointments present a significant challenge in healthcare delivery.
  • A 157-week wait time was identified as a critical issue requiring immediate intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a telephone booking system in reducing outpatient appointment waiting times.
  • To assess the impact of the new system on patient non-attendance rates and departmental cost savings.

Main Methods:

  • Implementation of a dedicated telephone booking system for orthopaedic outpatient appointments.
  • Data collection on waiting times, appointment non-attendance rates, and financial impact before and after system implementation.

Main Results:

  • The telephone booking system reduced waiting times by 53 weeks.
  • Patient non-attendance decreased from 17% to 5%.
  • An estimated cost saving of 216,000 Pounds for the orthopaedics department was achieved.

Conclusions:

  • Telephone booking systems are an effective strategy for improving efficiency in outpatient appointment scheduling.
  • The implemented system demonstrates a positive return on investment through reduced waiting times, lower no-show rates, and significant cost savings.
  • The success of the telephone booking system supports its expansion to other clinical specialties.

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