An Assessment of Door to Consultation Time in Outpatient Department (OPD) of a Tertiary Care Cardiac Hospital: A Clinical Quality Improvement Project (QIP)

Abstract

Objective: To assess door to consultation time in cardiac OPD of a tertiary care hospital and to recommend strategies to reduce patients waiting time.

Study Design: Cross sectional study

Place and Duration of Study: Surgical Out-Patient Department, Armed Force Institute of Cardiology, National Institute AFIC/NIHD, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Aug 2020 to Sep 2020.

Methodology: This quality improvement project (QIP) was conducted for a period of 4 weeks from 15th, Aug-15th, Sep 2020 in the surgical out-patient department of Armed Force Institute of Cardiology, National Institute/National Institute of Heart Disease (AFIC/NIHD). Time for registration, waiting time pre-consultation and consultation times were recorded on a patient survey proforma. A non-probability consecutive sampling technique was used to recruit study participants.

Results: Data was collected from a total of 278 respondents. The results showed that 142(51%) participants had the total door to consultation time of 30 minutes and 86(31%) participants had the door to consultation time of 30-60 minutes 86(31%), respondents reported the actual consultation time to be 11-20 minutes and an equal percentage of participants 86(31%) responded that it was 6-10 minutes. Sixty-six percent 183(66%) participants reported that the doctors were aware of theirmedical history which helped in shorter consultation time.

Conclusion: In this QIP we concluded that patients who had shorter waiting time lead to a significantly shorter door to consultation time. A few areas of concern identified in the QIP of note were; less number of registration counters and patients presenting on same day without appointments. Recommendations were made to reduce waiting times in outpatient department (OPD) which would in turn increase patient satisfaction.