ABSTRACT
Objective : To study the economic loss of to patients and their relatives resulting from the postponement of admission.Design: Descriptive study.Setting: Surgical Outpatient Department, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University.Subjects : Ninety patients whose admission was postponed and 159 of their relatives.Data Collection : A structured questionnaire was administered to the patients and relative between November 1, 1997, and January 31, 1998.Measurement; Descriptive statistics, including freequancy, number, kpercentages, and means.Results: Ninety (15.7%) of 574 admissions were postponed. The ratio of relatives to patients interviewed was 1:1.8. The average loss to patients and relatives was 485 baths per postponement. The average postponement was for 1.3 days.Conclusions: The average loss to patients and relatives was 485 baths per postponement, it was almost ot haft of the northeast Thai population’s average income per month. The admission postoponement was much happening (15.7%), if organization has effective management, it will be lessen economic loss to patients and relatives.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the rate of appointment postponing in Department of Surgery.Design : Retrospective, descriptive study.Setting : Surgical OPD, Srinagarind hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University.Subjects : All patients who have appointment with Department of Surgery during January 1, 1996 and December 31, 1996.Data collection: Review from the appointment book, database of Srinagarind hospital, and cards of medical record.Measurement: Descriptive statistics, including number, percentages, and means.Results: The appointment postponing occurred in 1,295 cases out of 2,402 patients (53.91%). These were divied in to 5 groups according to numbers of postponing: one time 1,064 cases (44.30%) , two times 175 cases (7.29%), three time 47 cases (1.96%), four time 6 cases (0.25%), and five times 3 cases (0.12%). The highest incidence of posponing occurred in the 3rd trimester (28.03%), while the lowest incidence occurred in the 1st trimester (22.24%). Postponin incidence mostly occurred in cardiovascular \& thoracic surgery 62.07% (288/464), while the postpoing incidence was lowest in pediatric surgery 32.58% (130/399). The causes of appointment postponing were 1) surgeons only 613 cases (47.34%), 2) patients only 563 cases (43.47%), and 3) both surgeons and patients 119 cases (9.19%). The division of which the surgeon was the major cause of postponing was neuro surgery (81.82%), in contrast with general surgery 2 (34.21%).Conclusions: The incidence of appointment postponig in Department of Surgery is 53.91% in 1996. Causes of postponment is similar from surgeon and patients. Neurosurgery has the highest incidence of postpoing from surgeon, while general surgery 2 has the lowest incidence. The highest incidence of postponing is in the 3rd trimester.Keywords : (1) Appointment postponing (2) Outpatient (3) Surgery