Enhancing Operational Efficiency in Eye Care Services: A Mixed-Methods Operational Research Study in a Tertiary Care Eye Hospital

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating ways to improve operational efficiency and reduce total appointment time for patients undergoing elective eye care procedures at Pushpagiri Vitreo Retina Institute (PVRI), a tertiary eye hospital in Secunderabad. This study focuses on reducing patient waiting time by 15-25% using simple patient identification tools to streamline planned surgical and clinical procedures. The study uses a mixed-methods operational research design including time-motion studies, process mapping, and intervention validation. The study involves implementing interventions such as a pre-operative segregation checklist, redesigning reception and billing workflows to introduce fast-track billing for some payment categories, streamlining surgical slot allocation in wards, and improving recovery and discharge processes through checklist-based criteria and patient counseling. These interventions are applied after a baseline workflow analysis has been conducted to measure current patient flow and waiting times. Participants are patients scheduled for pre-planned elective eye procedures during the study period. Researchers will observe and record time spent at different hospital sections such as front office, ward, operation theatre, and recovery. Data analysis will compare pre- and post-intervention times to measure efficiency improvements. The primary outcome is patient appointment time over 6-8 months, with secondary outcomes including billing and ward waiting times. The study includes informed consent, ethical approval, and maintains patient confidentiality.

Enhancing Operational Efficiency in Eye Care Services