Improving Out‐patient Appointment Systems

Abstract

The Patient′s Charter has recently set the standard for hospital out‐patient clinics that patients will “be given a specific appointment time and will be seen within 30 minutes of that time”. Describes the successful application of an operational research/operations management approach to out‐patient appointment systems at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. Draws the conclusion from a comparison of this and other studies that many hospitals face very similar problems with similar solutions; but that localized studies may often be required to achieve these solutions.

Citation

Worthington, D. and Brahimi, M. (1993), "Improving Out‐patient Appointment Systems", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 6 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526869310025644