Managing Outpatient Cycle Times in Hospitals Using Integrated Closed-Loop Approaches

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Operations Research
• Clinical Efficiency

Background:

• Long waiting times in outpatient clinics negatively impact patients, staff, and hospital operations.
• Various strategies exist to manage and reduce patient cycle times.
• The effectiveness of combining multiple cycle time management approaches requires further evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of implementing a combination of closed-loop based approaches to manage outpatient clinic cycle times.
• To compare the effectiveness of combined approaches against individual strategies and baseline measures.
• To evaluate the sustained impact of these approaches, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• The study was conducted at Aravind Eye Hospital (AEH), Madurai, India.
• Cycle times were compared before and after implementing multiple combined approaches, including a scheduling system for COVID-19 norms.
• Analysis included comparing combined approaches to individual methods and examining variations by patient load.

Main Results:

• The combined approach reduced overall cycle time by 19% compared to the baseline.
• This integrated strategy outperformed individual approaches in reducing cycle times.
• The positive outcomes were maintained despite the operational challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions:

• Implementing multiple, integrated approaches is more effective for reducing outpatient clinic cycle times than using individual methods.
• The combined strategy offers a robust solution for improving clinic efficiency and patient flow.
• Sustained improvements demonstrate the value of this comprehensive approach in diverse operational conditions.