• Pronoy Ghosh
• Dr. Babita Das Paul

Efficient patient flow within outpatient departments (OPDs) is essential for delivering timely, high-quality healthcare services. Increasing demand for outpatient care has led to prolonged waiting times, negatively affecting patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. This study explores critical factors contributing to delays in OPD operations and evaluates interventions aimed at reducing waiting times. It emphasizes the importance of data-driven scheduling, optimal resource allocation, and the integration of hospital capacity command centers to enhance operational efficiency. The research further highlights patient-centric hospital design, effective communication, and the use of digital tools as key strategies for streamlining processes. Measuring patient satisfaction through real-time feedback mechanisms enables continuous improvement. Future directions include open-access scheduling, workforce optimization, and digital patient flow management to ensure sustainable outcomes. Collectively, these approaches reinforce the necessity of adopting systematic and adaptive solutions for improving efficiency and patient experience in outpatient care.

Outpatient departments, patient flow, waiting time reduction, scheduling optimization, hospital efficiency

"Enhancing Patient Flow and Reducing Waiting Time in Outpatient Departments", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 10, page no.e31-e33, October-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2510407.pdf

"Enhancing Patient Flow and Reducing Waiting Time in Outpatient Departments", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 10, page no. ppe31-e33, October-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2510407.pdf