Digital Versus Traditional Booking System for Clinical Appointments
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
In the Canadian Forces Health Services Ottawa clinical administrative resources are currently constrained, directly impacting workflow and patient care. Given the nature of the current EMR and digital health infrastructure, DBS is not currently being employed. Therefore, investigators sought to determine the relative benefit of using an online booking system when compared to TB. To the investigator's knowledge, validation of this type has not been conducted in this setting.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
Detailed Description
Introduction: The impact of digital booking systems (DBS) on clinical care, administrative efficiency and health care costs have not previously been explored in the Canadian Forces Health Services. No show rates were shown to be reduced by 6-42% percent compared to traditional booking (TB) depending on the system and the clinic. Therefore, investigators sought to determine the relative benefit of using an online booking system when compared to TB.
Methods: Main outcome variables included total time for booking all patients between groups including the start to end dates of each intervention, the number of hours spent on the phone / answering emails, and the number of phone calls and emails received, and the number of phone calls / emails regarding booking problems, cancellations, changes and no shows. Descriptive and mean comparative statistics will be used to determine any differences between groups.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Digital Booking Patients bookings done through digital booking system. |
Other: Appointment booking system
Patients were sent an email to book an appointment using the telephone/email versus a online booking system.
|
| Traditional Booking Patients bookings done through traditional booking like telephone or secure email. |
Other: Appointment booking system
Patients were sent an email to book an appointment using the telephone/email versus a online booking system.
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Total time for booking all patients [~3 months]
total time taken for DB and TB patients to be booked in a clinic time slot
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Percent of Patients Booked [~3 months]
Percent of Patients Booked for each group
- Average Time Spent per Patient [~3 months]
Average Time Spent per Patient
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients that have never been seen for new consultations
Exclusion Criteria:
- none
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canadian Forces Health Services Centre | Ottawa | Ontario | Canada | K1J6L4 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Canadian Forces Health Services Centre Ottawa
- Canadian Department of National Defense
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Gaurav Gupta, MD, Canadian Forces Health Services Centre
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- E2021-11-048-008-0002