A Retrospective Analysis of Central Physician Appointment System Data in a Tertiary Health Center in Turkey.

INTRODUCTION: Considerable advances have been made in hospital appointment systems in the past 60 years. In Turkey, the Central Physician Appointment System (CPAS) is used together with appointments made through direct presentations to the hospital. This study evaluated CPAS data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: CPAS data for the previous 2 years (2015, Group 1; 2016, Group 2) were evaluated retrospectively. Department-based analysis was also performed. Total number of clinics, CPAS capacity, number of appointments through CPAS, and numbers of patients keeping appointments and "no shows" and ratios calculated from these were investigated.

RESULTS: Overall, 1,704,594 patients were examined in 20 departments during the 2-year period (January 1, 2015-December 31, 2016). Mean CPAS capacity per department was 12,831 ± 7,691 in Group 1 and 11,573 ± 6,849 in Group 2 (p = 0.588). Ratios of appointments made through CPAS to CPAS capacity were 0.7 in Group 1 and 0.84 in Group 2 (p = 0.009). The ratio of patients keeping appointments made through CPAS to the number of appointments made through CPAS was 0.772 in Group 1 and 0.775 in Group 2 (p = 0.831). The departments with the highest number of appointments made through CPAS to CPAS capacity were Neurosurgery in Group 1 (0.99) and Ophthalmology in Group 2 (0.99). The department with the lowest ratio was Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology in Group 1 (0.28) and Group 2 (0.45).

CONCLUSIONS: The use of CPAS has increased. However, some CPAS vacancies remain unfilled, and some appointments are not kept. CPAS capacities must be adjusted in line with take-up rates through regular department-based analysis.