Reducing patient wait times: a digital booking system for consultant doctor appointment at Nakasero Hospital.

Abstract

Efficient appointment scheduling is central to patient-centered healthcare, as it ensures timely access to medical services and optimizes resource utilization within a hospital. This project investigated an existing appointment booking system for consultant doctors in one of the renowned health institutions in Uganda. The project focused on Nakasero Hospital. Despite being recognized as one of Uganda’s premier medical institutions, Nakasero hospital still faces significant limitations in its appointment booking system for consultant doctors. The existing system relying on phone-based bookings and in-person reservations often leads to overbooked slots, scheduling conflicts, and miscommunication across departments. These shortcomings not only lengthen patient wait times but also strain the hospital’s administrative workforce, ultimately diminishing patient satisfaction. The purpose of this project therefore was to develop a booking system for consultant doctor appointments at Nakasero Hospital. To achieve the above purpose, the project assessed the existing consultant appointment booking channels at Nakasero Hospital; identified critical challenges associated with existing consultant appointment booking channels; determined the requirements necessary for a digital booking system and; developed a booking system for consultant doctor appointments for Nakasero Hospital. The system was then tested and validated to ascertain its applicability. The conduct of the project followed a mixed-methods research design utilizing both qualitative and quantitative tools to obtain the required data. The project first examined current scheduling challenges through interviews and document reviews, highlighting critical issues such as double-bookings and communication breakdowns. Collection of quantitative data followed using system usage logs and surveys measuring improvements in scheduling accuracy, reduced wait times, and administrative workload once the new platform was piloted. To ensure comprehensive representation, the project involved a cross-section of participants, including inpatients, outpatients, and both clinical and administrative staff. Insights gleaned from these stakeholder groups informed iterative refinements to the system’s design, ensuring it remained both intuitive for users and responsive to the hospital’s operational realities. A combination of secure web-based technologies, rigorous security protocols, and robust data analysis tools underpinned the system’s development. Ultimately, the project resulted in a blueprint for digital transformation that not only streamlines the appointment process but also strengthens the hospital’s capacity for data-driven decision-making. By integrating this technology into core healthcare operations, Nakasero Hospital could serve as a model for other health institutions seeking to deliver more efficient, patient-centered care in high volume and manpower constrained environments