Figures & Tables
Figures
- FIGURE 1.
Patient Flow Analysis Time Log
At Kintampo Municipal Hospital in Ghana, patients wait for medical care, with green patient flow analysis time logs attached to their medical charts. Time logs were purposely printed on bright green paper and stapled to the front of patients' charts to increase their visibility.
- FIGURE 2.
Possible Patient Care Flow Paths Through the Kintampo Municipal Hospital in Ghana
a History Taking: Nurse solicits chief complaint and obtains patient's temperature and blood pressure.
b Consultation-1: First consultation with a medical provider (physician or medical assistant); history and physical performed, ancillary tests ordered, and/or the patient is discharged home via the dispensary.
c Consultation-2: Second consultation with a medical provider (depending on the time of day and availability of medical providers); if there is no second consultation, the patient is sent directly from ancillary testing to the dispensary for medications and discharged home.
d Injection Room: Patients undergo scheduled treatment for chronic diseases (e.g., tuberculosis).
Tables
Arrival Hour Mean SD Median Minimum Maximum 05:00–05:59 7.2 1.5 7.0 5.0 9.0 06:00–06:59 12.4 2.3 12.0 9.0 15.0 07:00–07:59 18.6 5.7 18.0 13.0 27.0 08:00–08:59 18.6 3.5 19.0 15.0 22.0 09:00–09:59 15.2 7.2 16.0 5.0 25.0 10:00–10:59 12.4 6.9 11.0 6.0 24.0 11:00–11:59 4.6 3.0 4.0 1.0 9.0 12:00–12:59 4.4 2.3 4.0 2.0 8.0 13:00–13:59 1.7 0.6 2.0 1.0 2.0 14:00–14:59 4.0 0.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 15:00–15:59 3.0 1.4 3.0 2.0 4.0 Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.
In/Between Location Mean SD Median IQR Minimum Maximum Registration 0.15 0.19 0.12 0.08–0.18 0 3.10 History taking 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.05–0.08 0 1.03 Consultation-1 0.12 0.19 0.08 0.07–0.12 0 2.13 Consultation-2 0.07 0.10 0.05 0.03–0.08 0.02 0.83 Laboratory 0.79 0.56 0.72 0.45–0.97 0.05 2.82 X-ray 0.24 0.11 0.24 0.17–0.32 0.17 0.32 Dispensary 0.14 0.87 0.07 0.03–0.12 0 17.15 Arrival – Registration 2.24 1.25 2.30 1.35–3.22 0.02 6.47 Registration – History taking 0.65 0.55 0.45 0.23–0.92 0 2.55 History taking – Consultation-1 1.51 1.10 1.42 0.73–2.14 0 12.07 Consultation-1 – Laboratory 0.13 0.13 0.08 0.03–0.15 0.02 0.78 Laboratory – Consultation-2 1.00 2.70 0.29 0.12–0.53 0.02 15.17 Consultation-2 – Dispensary 0.17 0.14 0.13 0.08–0.24 0 0.62 Laboratory – Dispensary 0.52 0.67 0.28 0.12–0.59 0.08 2.08 Consultation-1 – Dispensary 0.22 0.30 0.15 0.07–0.28 0 3.15 TOTAL 5.06 1.58 5.18 4.07–6.20 0.60 9.42 Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation.
- TABLE 3. Observational Findings of Hospital Staffing and Hours of Operation at Kintampo Municipal Hospital
Hospital Location Range of Opening Times Staff Number Staffing Hours Range of Closing Times Total Daily Patient Care Hours (mean) Registration 05:45 1 05:30–08:00 14:00–16:00 9 2 08:00–09:00 3 After 09:00 History Taking 08:00 1 08:30–09:00 14:45 7 2 After 09:00 Consultation Room 1 09:30–11:00 1 14:00–16:00 4.2 Consultation Room 2 10:00–11:30 1 13:00–15:00 3.3 Consultation Room 3 08:15–10:00 1 12:45–15:00 5.4 Consultation Room 4 11:00–12:00 1 14:00 3.0a Laboratory 07:00 Dispensary 08:30 ↵a Medical provider for Consultation Room 4 was not present on 3 days of the patient flow analysis; data available for only 2 days.
