Assessment of the Correlation between Appointment Scheduling and Patient Satisfaction in a Pediatric Dental Setup

Abstract

Introduction. The practice of modern pediatric dentistry requires delivery of quality care in combination with adherence to excellent business as well as time management principles. A definite appointment schedule should be presented to the parents on the first or second appointment. More importantly, the prescribed schedule should be followed to the best of the professional abilities of the pediatric dentist. Aims. The aim of the study was to assess the co-relation between appointment scheduling and patient satisfaction in a pediatric dental setup with the objective of understanding the parameters related to appointment scheduling to increase patient satisfaction. Method. A total of 40 patients, who visited the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, YMT Dental College & Hospital, for dental treatment were selected on a random basis. A questionnaire with a set of 6 questions with a rating scale of 1–5 to assess the patient satisfaction related to appointment scheduling was prepared. Results. A significant number of the patients were happy with the existing appointment scheduling system barring a few exceptions.

Appraisal of primary health care services in federal capital territory, Abuja, Nigeria: how committed are the health workers?

“…Even though caregivers are favorably disposed towards caring for the elderly relatively [ 28 , 29 ], institutional care is still largely a rejected phenomenon [ 29 ] in most African settings, which is corroborated by our study findings. The acknowledgement of appointment scheduling to follow up cases is encouraging, as appointment scheduling has been identified to lie at the intersection of timely access to health care services and efficiency [ 30 ]. Agada and colleagues (2015) substantiate the realization and adoption on the need for effective appointment scheduling by advocating for a mixed block appointment rather than existing single block appointment systems [ 31 ].…”

Parents′ satisfaction with pediatric dental care provided by dental college, Riyadh

“…Other studies found that the most important reason for attending these clinics is low cost of service. [23242526]…”

<p>Outpatients’ Satisfaction in the Context of 10 Years of Health-Care Reform: A Cross-Sectional Study of Tertiary Hospitals in Shiyan, China</p>

“…A strong inverse relationship between patient satisfaction and waiting time has been also demonstrated by many studies. [49][50][51][52] Therefore, there was room for improvement for referral patients as well as in the dual-referral system. Which makes it possible for doctors to spend more energy on patients to improve their experience.…”