The development of queue application prototype for clients at outpatient clinics
Keywords:
queue management, digital queue, satisfaction, waiting time, outpatient clinicAbstract
Queue management in hospitals is a key factor affecting service efficiency and patient satisfaction. The application of technology in queue management can effectively reduce waiting times and enhance the operational agility of the service system. This developmental research aimed to develop a prototype queue application for outpatient clinics and to evaluate the efficiency and satisfaction of both service providers and recipients regarding the use of this prototype application. The study was conducted from January to October 2024, divided into three phases: 1) Pre-development phase, 2) Development phase, and 3) Evaluation phase. The sample group consisted of 10 rehabilitation clinic staff, selected purposively, and 392 service recipients, selected through simple random sampling.
The research tools included a questionnaire on satisfaction with the use of the traditional queue system for service providers and recipients, in-depth interview guides, meeting minutes, and a questionnaire on satisfaction with the use of the prototype queue application for service providers and recipients. These tools were content validated by three experts. The reliability test of the questionnaire on satisfaction with the use of the traditional queue system for service providers, the questionnaire on satisfaction with the use of the traditional queue system for recipients, the questionnaire on satisfaction with the use of the prototype queue application for service providers, and the questionnaire on satisfaction with the use of the prototype queue application for recipients yielded Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.83, 0.87, 0.88, and 0.80, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.
The research findings revealed that a prototype queue management application for outpatient clinics was an online system developed to facilitate service recipients by registering for queues via a website. It included a QR code for real-time queue status tracking and receives notifications via LINE or SMS. Meanwhile, service providers could manage queues through a user-friendly dashboard, which displays numbers, colors, and automatic voice announcements. The study found a statistically significant reduction in the average waiting time compared to the traditional system (p<.05), and a statistically significant increase in service provider perceptions of queue management efficiency (p<.05). Satisfaction among service providers and service recipients were at a high levels (
=4.480.60 and 4.46
0.70, respectively).
Recommendations: An online queue booking system should be developed to allow service recipients to book queues independently at their preferred times.
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