Abstract
This study investigates patient appointment scheduling and examination room assignment problems involving patients who undergo ultrasound examination with considerations of multiple examination rooms, multiple types of patients, multiple body parts to be examined, and special restrictions. Following are the recommended time intervals based on the findings of three scenarios in this study: In Scenario 1, the time interval recommended for patients’ arrival at the radiology department on the day of the examination is 18 min. In Scenario 2, it is best to assign patients to examination rooms based on weighted cumulative examination points. In Scenario 3, we recommend that three outpatients come to the radiology department every 18 min to undergo ultrasound examinations; the number of inpatients and emergency patients arriving for ultrasound examination is consistent with the original time interval distribution. Simulation optimization may provide solutions to the problems of appointment scheduling and examination room assignment problems to balance the workload of radiological technologists, maintain high equipment utilization rates, and reduce waiting times for patients undergoing ultrasound examination.
Highlights
Hospitals are a service industry; enhancing quality and efficiency is a key factor in enhancing competitiveness
Most studies focus on improving equipment utilization rates and reducing patient idle times [1,5,14], whereas this study includes a discussion on the fairness of workload distribution among radiological technologists
A patient undergoing scrotal and prostate ultrasound examinations must be examined by a male radiological technologist, whereas a patient undergoing deep vein thrombosis ultrasound examination must be examined by a radiological technologist of the same sex
Summary
Hospitals are a service industry; enhancing quality and efficiency is a key factor in enhancing competitiveness. Improving patient appointment scheduling and the manner in which patients are assigned to examination rooms (or clinical rooms) are crucial [1,5,6,7,8,9]. The literature discusses patient appointment scheduling in hospitals and methods for assigning patients to examination rooms [1,5] but not how these affect patient waiting times and the workload of radiological technologists. This study investigates appointment scheduling for patients undergoing ultrasound examination, and explores the methods for assigning these patients to examination rooms. Most studies focus on improving equipment utilization rates and reducing patient idle times [1,5,14], whereas this study includes a discussion on the fairness of workload distribution among radiological technologists
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