A Level 3 General Hospital Outpatient Time Distribution And The Research To The Influential Factors Of Medical Service

ObjectiveThrough the investigation of the time distribution of outpatients and the status of the clinical reservation services, this study aims to analyze the influencing factors of the implementation of the clinical reservation services and to provide reasonable suggestions for its smooth implementation.MethodsWe surveyed the current implementing status of clinical reservation services using quantitative and qualitative methods. Literature review, field investigation, focus-group discussion and in-depth interview techniques were conducted during the study. Hospital staff was also interviewed to find out the influencing factors and the suggestions for implementing clinical reservation service. All the data were collected by Excel and analysed by SPSS13.0.Results1. The time distribution of outpatients in JS Hospital is uneven throughout the whole week and the whole day and appear "peak value" and "low peak".2. In2010, the numbers of reservation outpatients only accounted for1.9percent of the total outpatients of JS Hospital. Telephone booking, making a reservation during the treatment and on-site reservation are the main formats of reservation service.3. A total of198patients in JS Hospital were interviewed during the investigation and found49.5percent of patients do not know the clinical reservation service,44.4percent of patients know this services by internet;64.1percent of patients are willing to accept clinical reservation services, nearly40percent of the patients would choose the telephone booking,67.7percent of patients hope that the experts clinics in the hospital can be reserved and the total amount of the reservation for expert clinics can account for more than50percent. Besides this, most patients are not satisfied with the current clinical reservation services and nearly80percent of the patients do not think this would bring a good result to alleviate the difficulty for patients to receive the medical services.4. A total of15hospital staff were invited to participate the interview and found there are37pieces of factors will influence of the implementation of the clinical reservation services.5. A total of10hospital staff participated the focus group discussion and bring forward42pieces suggestions for the implementation of the clinical reservation services.Conclusion1. According to the uneven distribution of the hospital outpatients, it is suggested to guide the patient shifting the time of treatment through the clinical reservation services.2. Currently, the utilization of clinical reservation services is comparatively low, while both the patient participation and hospitals enthusiasm is low and the reservation system also needs to be improved.3. The implementation of clinical reservation services can bring more conveniences for patients and save their time; can guide the patients to receive the treatment at more suitable time and improve the medical environment; can reduce the cost of medical management and enhance the level of rational use of the medical resources; can improve the quality and level of hospital services and improve the doctor-patient relationship; can promote the implementation of "real-name treatment system" and curb the "traffickers".4. The reasons influencing the implementation for clinical reservation services mainly related to patients, hospitals, government related departments, the reservation system and medical resource status. The specific contents include the lower awareness of patients, the traditional treatment habits, the patients’non-attendance, the limited implementation range and the inadequate publication of the policy, the limited quantity of bookable tickets, the insufficient investment on the reservation system from the government, the complicated operational procedure, the shortage of health care resources and uneven distribution, etc.5. In order to promote the smooth implementation of the clinical reservation services, we should strengthen the publication of the policy and change the patients’habits, should improve the formats and procedure of the clinical reservation services, should increase the proportion of the bookable tickets, should take the relevant measures to guarantee the implementation of "real-name system" and lower non-attendance rate. The government also should increase the investment to the clinical reservation system and rationalize the distribution of medical resources.