A Study on Patient Turnaround Time at Oncology Out-Patient Department in a Multispeciality Hospital

Abstract

The initial point of contact in a hospital is the outpatient department (OPD). Patient satisfaction and the care received in the OPD are indicators of the hospital's level of service. The amount of time a patient spends in a facility from the time they arrive at the registration desk until they depart for the last service is known as OPD waiting time. Patient discontent is substantially impacted by lengthier wait times. A checklist was created to track every minute that patients spent in the OPD, and data was gathered via direct observation to determine the average turnaround time. In this study, 200 samples, including both appointment patients and walk-ins, had their turnaround times examined. As a result, appointment patients had to wait longer than usual due to their early presence at the OPD, 45 minutes was recorded as the average turnaround time