A systems study on the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center Inc. outpatient department

• Main Authors: Chan, Jefferson O., Malaguit, Carl Edison R., Nagtalon, James P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2013
• Subjects: Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/11562
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Outpatient Department (OPD) of UERMMMCI offers outpatient services as part of charity. Currently, the OPD is not able to meet its current goal of keeping the waiting time of the patients to a maximum of one hour as required by the department head. As of 2012, the patients wait in the system for an average of two hours excluding patient processing. This amount is based on the social economic cost amounting to PHP 243,941.40 per month. In determining the root causes of the problem, KTPA analysis was applied along with the use of the Ishikawa and Why-Why Diagrams. Using these tools, three main causes were identified: Long Queuing (63%), residents having other duties outside the OPD (19.17%), and No Basis of what to write in the Patient's Form (8.73%). After identifying what the root causes are, multiple alternatives are proposed that will help minimize patients waiting time to at most an hour. Three independent alternatives were identified: 1) Implementation of Patient Scheduling, 2) Provision of Uniform Patient Form, and 3) Assigning of residents in the OPD Exclusively. These alternatives are then evaluated using the following Non-Compromisable Criteria (waiting time of the patient must not exceed 90%) and Compromisable Criteria (Easy to implement, and investment cost for the proposed solution must not be greater than 30% of the opportunity cost). Using the following criteria, the alternative with the highest rating is the Implementation of Patient Scheduling. However since all the alternatives gave a large rating still, all were also taken into study with confidence that it would greatly reduce the waiting time. The ARENA software was used to replicate the system to test the effectiveness of the alternatives. After creating the present system model for ARENA, the results were tested using T-test to determine whether there is statistical difference between the two groups. Each of the alternatives saved time were determined in the cost and benefit analysis: Implementation of patient scheduling has a percent time reduction of 54%, Provision of uniform patient form has a percent time reduction of 6% and Assigning of residents in the BPO exclusively has a percent reduction of 39%. However, it is most ideal when the three solutions are integrated which reduces patient waiting time by 84%. For validation, Design of Experiment (DOE) was used to test the possibility if by integrating the three would significantly reduce patient waiting time statistically. From all the possible combinations, ANOVA ranked the solution of integrating the three alternatives as the optimal solution. For capital invested required to implement these changes, an amount of PHP 42,254.00 is needed. This cost will include the tools needed for implementation such as seminar costs, reprinting of new patient forms, payment for the consultants etc. and will encompasses three months of implementation. Once taken into effect, the company will receive a yearly profit of PHP 312,000.00 with a cost of PHP 108,000.00 per year.