Assessment of time spent by patients when visiting a medical organization
The satisfaction of the population with medical care is considered today as one of the most important indicators of the health care system. At the same time, more and more attention is being paid to the time spent by patients in a medical organization when receiving outpatient care, as a factor affecting satisfaction with medical care in general. Purpose of the study is to determine the opinion of patients about their time costs when visiting a medical organization that provides outpatient care. Material and methods. The process of a patient’s referral to a polyclinic, a questionnaire for patients posted on the Internet on an open electronic resource Online Test Pad. The number of questionnaires is 509. Methods: analytical, sociological, descriptive statistics. Results. During the surveys, respondents subjectively assess the time spent on various actions: communication at the reception desk, searching for an office, waiting for an appointment, etc., as well as the total time spent in a medical organization. In addition, the appearance at the polyclinic may be preceded by an appointment, which also takes time. Respondents were asked to estimate the total time spent in the polyclinic, as well as the time they are willing to devote to visiting it. The respondents’ assessment of the time spent shows significant time reserves: in the organization of an appointment and the work of the registry (clarifications, obtaining background information, obtaining coupons), navigation and, possibly, in the location of offices, in the organization of space in waiting areas. Conclusions. A tool for assessing the time spent by patients to receive care in a medical organization providing outpatient care has been developed and tested. There are significant differences in the length of time spent on making an appointment, including by phone and via the Internet. Significant reserves have been identified to reduce the total time required to visit the polyclinic. The developed tool is characterized by a short filling time, contains simple questions and allows you to quickly identify areas of necessary improvements.