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An Example of a Good but Partially Successful OR Engagement: Improving Outpatient Clinic Operations

Author

Listed:
  • Joanne C. Bennett

    (The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, 31 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2YE, Scotland)

  • D. J. Worthington

    (Department of Management Science, The Management School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YX, United Kingdom)

Abstract

We undertook a study to improve the running of hospital outpatient clinics that were regularly overbooked, overrun, and had excessive patient waiting times. The methodology adopted entailed a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches, but was problem-driven and so only emerged as the project developed. We generated a number of proposals for the improved running of the clinics during the project, some implemented and some not. For future studies we would recommend that a flexible and open-minded approach is adopted. This may well involve an initial, mainly qualitative, study followed by the application of a series of modest models—occasionally more sophisticated modeling may be appropriate. We would also recommend that the benefits of such studies are not judged solely in terms of one-off implementation leading to measurable improvements in performance. They should also be seen as part of an overall process of improving health care practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Joanne C. Bennett & D. J. Worthington, 1998. "An Example of a Good but Partially Successful OR Engagement: Improving Outpatient Clinic Operations," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 28(5), pages 56-69, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orinte:v:28:y:1998:i:5:p:56-69
    DOI: 10.1287/inte.28.5.56
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. John Kros & Scott Dellana & David West, 2009. "Overbooking Increases Patient Access at East Carolina University's Student Health Services Clinic," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 39(3), pages 271-287, June.
    2. Haughton, Michael & Sapna Isotupa, K.P., 2012. "Scheduling commercial vehicle queues at a Canada–US border crossing," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 190-201.
    3. D C Lane & E Husemann, 2008. "System dynamics mapping of acute patient flows," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(2), pages 213-224, February.
    4. Mingers, John & Rosenhead, Jonathan, 2004. "Problem structuring methods in action," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(3), pages 530-554, February.
    5. Nguyen, Thu Ba T. & Sivakumar, Appa Iyer & Graves, Stephen C., 2018. "Capacity planning with demand uncertainty for outpatient clinics," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 267(1), pages 338-348.

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