Asfaw Benjamin A, Nagtegaal Bert-Jan, Rabiner Pavel, Thrall James
Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
J Am Coll Radiol. 2007 Mar;4(3):171-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2006.11.003.
Radiology business managers are challenged daily to maximize access, improve utilization, and enhance the efficiency of very costly resources. They rely on a variety of reports, metrics, and indicators to make operational decisions. Among the many metrics managers track today, one of the more inexact is the determination of outpatient appointment availability. The outpatient availability score (OAS) was developed to improve how access to resources is predicted in the department of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital by accounting for patient preference. The OAS uses a range of predictors (thresholds) to determine the low, medium, and high likelihood that patients will find appointments suitable for them. The OAS can be customized to fit individual operations by adjusting these thresholds as fluctuations in demand dictate. The OAS is more useful than other current methodologies for measuring availability, such as next appointment availability or third next appointment availability, for the following reasons: (1) the OAS forecasts availability for an extended period of time, (2) the OAS forecasts the quantity of available appointments, and (3) the OAS is a better indication of the department's ability to satisfy patients' appointment needs. The OAS used in conjunction with other measures (such as the third next available appointment) of availability affords managers a clearer picture of access and the ability to deal proactively with demand to run more efficient operations.
放射科业务经理每天都面临挑战，即要最大限度地提高资源可及性、改善资源利用率并提升极其昂贵的资源的使用效率。他们依靠各种报告、指标和指示器来做出运营决策。在经理们如今追踪的众多指标中，门诊预约可及性的判定是较不准确的指标之一。门诊可及性评分（OAS）的开发是为了通过考虑患者偏好来改进麻省总医院放射科对资源可及性的预测方式。OAS使用一系列预测因子（阈值）来确定患者找到适合自己预约的低、中、高可能性。OAS可以通过根据需求波动调整这些阈值来进行定制，以适应个别运营情况。OAS比其他当前用于衡量可及性的方法（如下一个预约可及性或下第三个预约可及性）更有用，原因如下：（1）OAS能预测较长时间段内的可及性；（2）OAS能预测可预约的数量；（3）OAS能更好地表明科室满足患者预约需求的能力。将OAS与其他可及性衡量措施（如下第三个可预约的预约）结合使用，能让经理们更清楚地了解可及性情况，并能够主动应对需求，以开展更高效的运营。
