Effects of a comprehensive reservation service for non-emergency registration on appointment registration rate, patient waiting time, patient satisfaction and outpatient volume in a tertiary hospital in China

• Published in: BMC health services research Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 782
• Main Authors: Xie, Wanhua, Yang, Xiufeng, Cao, Xiaojun, Liu, Peiying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 01.11.2019; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Appointment registration rate; Appointments and Schedules; Children; China; Clinics; Comprehensive reservation service for non-emergency registration; Cross-Sectional Studies; Families & family life; Female; Health care policy; Health services; Health Services Research; Hospitals; Humans; Male; Medical centers; Medical ethics; Mobile commerce; Outpatient care facilities; Outpatient volume; Outpatients - statistics & numerical data; Patient satisfaction; Patient Satisfaction - statistics & numerical data; Pediatrics; Quality of service; Questionnaires; Registration; Software; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tertiary Care Centers - organization & administration; Time Factors; Waiting Lists; Waiting time; Womens health; China; Appointment registration rate; Comprehensive reservation service for non-emergency registration; Patient satisfaction; Outpatient volume; Waiting time
• ISSN: 1472-6963; 1472-6963
• DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4652-6

In China, a long waiting time for registration is a common occurrence in many tertiary hospitals. This study aimed to analyze the effects of a comprehensive reservation service for non-emergency registration on appointment registration rate, patient waiting time, patient satisfaction and outpatient volume at the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center. This was a cross-sectional study. This study investigated the effects of a comprehensive reservation service for non-emergency registration in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center in China starting in October 2015. In total, 2194 patients completed a satisfaction survey administered by the Guangdong Situation Research Center. The content of the questionnaire consisted of six aspects: general impression, service attitude, service quality, hospital environment, price perception and medical ethics. A Likert 5-point rating scale was used in the questionnaire; answers were classified as "very satisfied", "relatively satisfied", "neutral", "unsatisfied" and "very unsatisfied". The method of application was paper-based. T-tests were used to compare the sample means, and chi-square tests were used to compare the rates. A multiple-test procedure was performed to evaluate the differences in the reservation rates during a 12-month period. After the implementation of the comprehensive reservation service for non-emergency registration in our hospital, which has an annual outpatient volume of approximately 4 million, the monthly appointment registration rate increased from (34.95 ± 2.91)% to(89.13 ± 3.12)%,P < 0.01. The patient waiting time was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), and the proportion of patients who believed that the waiting time required improvement was decreased significantly (P < 0.01). Moreover, the third-party evaluation result of outpatient satisfaction significantly improved (P < 0.01). The total hospital outpatient volume decreased(P < 0.01). The outpatient volume of the Department of General Pediatrics decreased. The implementation of the comprehensive reservation service for non-emergency registration in the hospital shortened patient waiting time and improved patient satisfaction, and the outpatient volume was effectively controlled. These results indicated that this program obtained the desired results in a Grade 3A hospital in China.