Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong KHW(1) and Shum CY(2)
Affiliation :
(1) Medical Physics, Department of Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, (2) Department of Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital
Introduction :
The Department of Oncology at Princess Margaret Hospital faced challenges with prolonged outpatient clinic end times and extended waiting periods for doctor consultations. A root cause analysis identified key issues: high workload due to increased patient numbers and treatment lines, insufficient medical staff, and low clinic efficiency. To address these issues, adjustments in follow-up frequency and the introduction of a case closure policy were implemented to reallocate resources toward new cases.
Objectives :
To develop and implement a new system aimed at improving clinic efficiency, reducing late clinic end times, and shortening patient waiting periods for consultations.
Methodology :
A "Traffic Light and Quota Allocation system" was introduced on September 19, 2023. This system assigns weights to clinics based on consultation complexity and to doctors based on their duties. A target score is calculated for each outpatient session, allowing doctors to monitor their progress via a web interface with a progress bar. Approximately 30 minutes before the clinic's scheduled end, the system reallocates cases based on doctors' progress, with doctors surpassing 110% of their target score exempt from additional cases. The system enables clinic in-charges to monitor overall clinic progress and provide support as needed. Additionally, a traffic light calendar displays workload estimations for each doctor using data from OPAS and the roster table, helping clerical staff and doctors adjust case bookings to balance workload across days.
Result & Outcome :
The system led to a significant improvement in clinic start times, with median start times shifting from 09:38 to 09:23 for morning sessions and from 14:51 to 14:33 for afternoon sessions. Clinic end times improved markedly, with median times decreasing from 19:05 to 18:23, a statistically significant change (p<0.05). The system also reduced patient waiting times for consultations, with the percentage of patients seen within 60 minutes increasing from 17.0% to 29.2% (p<0.05). These improvements have been sustained over more than a year. Conclusion: The traffic light system effectively enhanced clinic efficiency, resulting in earlier clinic completion and reduced patient waiting times. Both patients and staff have benefited from the implementation of this system
