Analysis of Delays in Processing Times in an Ophthalmology Clinic

Efficiency is an important component of any medical practice. It facilitates quality care, reduction in wait time, patient and staff satisfaction, and decreased cost. The purpose of this study was to identify bottlenecks in the current processing system in the Eye Center at Hershey Penn State Medical Center. Data was obtained about patients arriving at the clinic for ancillary tests such as visual field testing and retinal imaging. Analysis of this data revealed a statistically significant longer average length of visit for patients who received testing in comparison to those who did not. However, due to the small sample size of this study, we were unable to conclude that patients who received testing had longer wait times between segments. Further work in this field will need to be conducted to examine processes in the clinic in greater detail to identify those in need of improvement and guide future implementation of Lean strategies