ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2025
A Scheduling Optimization Approach to Reduce Outpatient Waiting Times for Specialists.
Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Multidisciplinary Strategy for Managing Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Waiting Lists Within the ULSS 3 Serenissima Health Authority in the Venice Metropolitan Area.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Administrative Perspectives on Digital Workflow Transformation and Artificial Intelligence Implementation in Dental Clinics.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Psychosocial determinants of anti-VEGF treatment adherence in AMD patients: optimization of one-stop intravitreal injection service model.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesLong waiting times for outpatient care remain a global challenge for public health systems. In Portugal, the National Health Service (NHS) ensures universal access to medical treatment, aiming to promote equity in healthcare. However, persistent delays in outpatient speciality appointments hinder this objective.
methodsThis study proposes a prioritization-scheduling approach that integrates a mathematical model with a heuristic method to enhance accessibility in NHS hospitals. By optimizing the available capacity of hospitals within each geographic area, the model efficiently sequences patient appointments across different facilities, prioritizing those who have waited the longest. The approach was tested using simulated instances based on real NHS hospital data.
resultsResults indicate that the model effectively integrates hospital resources within a region and efficiently allocates specialist appointments, significantly reducing waiting times.
conclusionsThis research introduces a promising strategy that, when incorporated into a decision support system, can serve as a valuable tool for healthcare management.
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Registered trials
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