Wait times in pediatric ophthalmology clinics: Insights from a tertiary university hospital

PurposeTo analyze wait time (WT) trends at Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (POS) service clinics.MethodsRetrospective observational study utilizing MDClone and electronic health records (EHRs) on 19,018 patients from POS clinics at a tertiary university-affiliated hospital in Israel, during April 2016-June 2023. Data were collected by the qFlow real-time patient tracking system. Primary outcome measures were WTs trends.ResultsData consisted of 19,018 patients, and the final cohort was 11,320 patients (49.51% female). Median age was 6 (IQR: 7) and median WT was 34.14 (IQR: 16.52-60.35) minutes. WT decreased during the pandemic (p < 0.001). WT across different eye clinics at the POS service differed (p < 0.001). Average WTs differed throughout the day: gradually decreasing from front desk opening until accepting patients, gradually increasing before noon, and followed by a gradual decrease. WTs fluctuated throughout the year with no clear pattern (31 min in May vs. 37 min in July, p < 0.001). There was a significant, weak, negative correlation between patients' lateness and WT, suggesting late arrivals were admitted quicker (p < 0.001). Median WT was not associated with gender (p = 0.93) or religion (p = 0.11) and with age (R = 0.02, p = 0.14).ConclusionWTs remained stable over the years. WTs at the POS service were significantly influenced by the time of day, month, type of clinic, and arrival time relative to the set appointment. WTs were significantly decreased during the COVID-19 epidemic. Personalized clinic schedules and adjusting for the complexity of needing both an orthoptist and ophthalmologist, may shorten WTs and encourage patients to avoid early arrivals.