KMID : 0926620030080020049
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Korean Journal of Hospital Management 2003 Volume.8 No. 2 p.49 ~ p.69
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Quantitative Evaluation of Appointment System for Outpatients in Dental Clinic
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Lee Hyung-Ju
Chang Hye-Jung
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Abstract
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This study purported to evaluate the performance of the appointment system for outpatients in primary care dental clinic. The data of patients¡¯ time flow for 1,245 patients in Y Dental Clinic were collected for one month in 2002 and then analyzed. Specifically, the time periods of treatment and patients¡¯ waiting as well as rates of appointment and it¡¯s failure are estimated. The accuracy of expected treatment time period was also evaluated. The results showed that 72% of patients visited the clinic with appointments, and only 56% kept their appointments. The patient¡¯s waiting time period turned out to be 11 minutes in Y clinic. The expected treatment time period is turned out to be very important because they influence significantly on patient¡¯s waiting time period. Practically, the expected treatment time period should be overestimated about 9 minutes in general, and the characteristics of dentist, each patient¡¯s diagnosis and age need to be especially considered. Hospitals and clinics also need to make the systematic and detailed critical pathways for a variety of patient cases by analyzing the patients¡¯ treatment pattern. With the improved appointment systems, healthcare institutions will approach the goal of effective and efficient management of the institution and also satisfy their customers.
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KEYWORD
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Appointment systems, Quantitative evaluation, Dental clinic, Outpatients
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