A Comparative Study of Patient Scheduling Systems for Army Sick Call.

In April and May 1973, five different scheduling systems for sick call were tested in three troop medical clinics at Ft. Sill, OK, using the following configurations Troop Clinic A, staggered unit arrival for one month, followed by individual appointment for one month Troop Clinic B, evening sick call followed by an all-day-no-appointment system and Troop Clinic C, a combination of early afternoon sick call for one month, followed by individual appointments. These systems were compared to the traditional system of holding sick call early in the morning as a mass formation. Patients and unit staff favored the individual appointment, staggered unit, and evening systems. Physicians and troop medical clinics staffs favored the appointment and the morning block systems. Sick call by appointment was shown to be feasible, although the other systems may all be useful under certain circumstances. Modified author abstract