Building an ultrasound appointment system: focusing on instrument diversity and the scope of physician expertise

Abstract Background Online appointments for ultrasound examinations have become increasingly common. How to use limited medical resources to make timely examination arrangements is a very meaningful measure for medical staff and patients. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of establishing an online ultrasound appointment system that takes into account instrument diversity and physician expertise to reduce patient wait times and department operating costs. Method By analyzing previous appointment mode and examination data, we collect the requirements of clinical medical staff and patients, propose solutions, and design an appointment process. Finally, the ultrasound appointment situation before and after the operation of the system was compared, utilizing SPSS24.0 for data analysis and graphical drawing. Results A total of 75,281 cases of B-ultrasound appointments were included in this study, including 41,777 in 2019 and 33,504 in 2020. After the launch of the new appointment system, the number of appointments on the day of inspection in 2020 increased significantly compared with that in 2019, the number of times for patients going back and forth to the hospital decreased, and there were statistical differences (< 0.001). Moreover, the number of absent patients decreased, with statistical differences (< 0.001). Meanwhile, the number of staff for appointments and the number of receptions per unit time decreased significantly after the launch of the new system. The satisfaction of multiple links in ultrasound examination improved to different degrees. Conclusion The 24-hour online ultrasound system improved operational efficiency and patient satisfaction while reducing scheduling conflicts.