Design and implementation of a web-based patient registration system in a single-centered tertiary care hospital of coastal Karnataka.

backgroundProlonged waiting times for outpatient registration remain one of the significant challenges in tertiary care hospitals, leading to patient dissatisfaction and operational inefficiencies. The use of traditional paper-based registration systems is one of the reasons for the delays, especially during peak hours. The aim of this study was to create a web-based outpatient registration system in order to make waiting time shorter and to improve service efficiency.

methodsThis prospective observational study was conducted in two phases at Kasturba Hospital, Udupi. Time and motion study was done on 50 patients in Phase I, and service time for 20 patients was measured using stopwatch-based observation. A structured, validated questionnaire was administered to 200 patients to capture satisfaction levels, awareness, and willingness to use a digital registration system. During Phase II, an online registration platform was developed using the waterfall model, which included planning, system design, programming, testing, and maintenance. The Django framework was used to develop the system with MySQL as the backend database. To ensure the smooth integration with the existing hospital system, a special browser plugin was created.

resultsThe time it took to register patients averaged 17 min and 25 s in total, and it took 6 min and 2 s on average for the staff to serve the patients. Among the 200 patients surveyed, the current system was satisfactory for 74.5% of them, while 25.5% voiced their complaints mainly because of the long waiting lines. The majority, that is, 58% of patients were unaware of the online registration facility, however, 90.5% of them were ready to utilize such a system if it was introduced. Moreover, 83% of the respondents thought that the online registration system would allow them to spend less time waiting. A digital solution was created and integrated into the hospital’s system for pilot testing.

conclusionThis study reveals that there is both the need for and readiness to undergo a digital transformation of the outpatient registration process. The system for online registrations developed as part of this study is both technically viable and appreciated by the patients. Wider implementation and awareness-building, which help to decrease waiting times and boost operational efficiency, lead to greater patient satisfaction in tertiary care facilities.