Prentice Julia C, Davies Michael L, Pizer Steven D
1VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston University School of Public Health and School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
Am J Med Qual. 2014 May-Jun;29(3):227-35. doi: 10.1177/1062860613494750. Epub 2013 Aug 12.
Long waits for appointments decrease patient satisfaction. Administrative wait-time measures are used by managers, but relationships between these measures and satisfaction have not been studied. Data from the Veterans Health Administration are used to examine the relationship between wait times and satisfaction. Outcome measures include patient-reported satisfaction and timely appointment access. Capacity and retrospective and prospective time stamp measures are calculated separately for new and returning patients. The time stamp measures consist of the date when the appointment was created in the scheduling system (create date [CD]) or the date the appointment was desired as the start date for wait-time computation. Logistic regression models predict patient satisfaction using these measures. The new-patient capacity, new-patient time stamp measures using CD, and the returning-patient desired-date prospective measure were significantly associated with patient satisfaction. Standard practices can be improved by targeting wait-time measures to patient subpopulations.
长时间等待预约会降低患者满意度。管理人员会采用行政等待时间措施，但这些措施与满意度之间的关系尚未得到研究。退伍军人健康管理局的数据被用于检验等待时间与满意度之间的关系。结果指标包括患者报告的满意度和及时的预约就诊机会。分别为新患者和复诊患者计算了能力指标以及回顾性和前瞻性时间戳指标。时间戳指标包括预约在调度系统中创建的日期（创建日期[CD]）或希望作为等待时间计算起始日期的预约日期。逻辑回归模型使用这些指标来预测患者满意度。新患者能力、使用创建日期的新患者时间戳指标以及复诊患者期望日期前瞻性指标与患者满意度显著相关。通过针对不同患者亚群体制定等待时间措施，可以改进标准做法。
