BACKGROUND
Outpatient department as the first department of hospital to directly contact with patients, is an important department to take medical assistance and service assurance for patients. The wait time is an important index which can reflect the satisfaction of patients and the situation of the utilization of health resources. Our study shows the direct time and indirect time of outpatient in order to find out the value of wait time in hospital management.
OBJECTIVE
By investigating the waiting time of public hospitals, we try to find the current situation of efficiency in public hospitals in China, and provide suggestions for the future reform of China's medical and health system.
METHODS
The data come from nine hospital which was selected by layering in Beijing and Shandong, there are three tertiary hospital, three intermediate hospital and three primary hospital or community hospital. The questionnaire which was designed by expert group included general information and detailed information about wait time in outpatient department. 1159 questionnaires are given out and all questionnaires are collected back, there are 1098 of 1159 can be used effectively, the effective rate was 94.73%. Excel 2003 and SAS are used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
Compared with register group, both the indirect wait time and direct wait time are significant shorter in reservation group. The age and education level impact the using of reservation system. Compared among different level hospitals, the direct wait time and indirect wait time significant shorter in low grade hospital, among the arrival time, the direct wait time and indirect wait time of lower half time period are significant shorter than upper half time period.
CONCLUSIONS
Combine the reservation system and set-convenience register can reduce both the indirect wait time and direct wait time, it also can meet the demand of those patients who older than 65 years or low education.
CLINICALTRIAL
NA