Recommendations from parents, administrative staff and clinicians to improve paediatric ambulatory appointment scheduling

Abstract

Background Stakeholders can provide valuable input to improve scheduling paediatric ambulatory clinic appointments, a complex process that requires effective planning and communication between parents, administrative staff and clinicians. The purpose of our study was to characterize recommendations from parents, administrative staff and clinicians to improve paediatric ambulatory appointment scheduling. Methods Conducted between February 2018 and January 2019, this qualitative study was guided by qualitative description. Data collection was completed using focus groups with three stakeholder groups: parents, administrative staff and clinicians. Participants provided recommendations to optimize paediatric ambulatory appointment scheduling at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Focus group data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using manifest inductive content analysis. Results Forty‐six participants (mean age: 42.7; 87% female) participated in 12 focus groups. Parents (n = 11), administrative staff (n = 22) and clinicians (n = 13) made recommendations that were organized into two categories: appointment triaging and arranging. Triaging recommendations were related to appointment availability (e.g. providing alternatives to cancelling clinics with short notice) and waitlist management (e.g. developing clear and consistent policies regarding information flow and communication between clinics and administrative staff). Appointment arranging recommendations referred to booking (e.g. directly involving parents in the booking process), reminders (e.g. using text message reminders) and attendance (e.g. providing parents with a single point of contact who can provide the correct information about late and cancellation policies). Recommendations were similar across stakeholder groups. Conclusion Our findings showed congruent recommendations across stakeholder groups to address challenges with scheduling ambulatory appointments, many of which have the potential to be modified. Experimental research and quality improvement initiatives are needed to determine the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of stakeholder recommendations to improve triaging and scheduling paediatric ambulatory appointments.

A Review of Optimization Studies for System Appointment Scheduling

“…And when a patient is unable to make a desired appointment, the appointment entry can be placed on a waitlist through waitlist management, and patients on the waitlist receive automatic notifications once the time becomes available. In conclusion, the result of the current rapid development of AS is its customization and flexibility, with patients often using customizable templates for different types of appointments and services, and the overall system could handle emergencies outside of the regular scheduling process appointment services[127].With the rise of telemedicine, AS systems include virtual consultation options that allow patients to schedule and attend appointments remotely, which also leads to the efficient utilization of healthcare resources, ensuring that future appointments are reasonable and matched with the right care or equipment. Indeed, the system cannot operate without security and compliance, and must adhere to healthcare privacy regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), to ensure the security of patient information.…”