Turnaround Time of Consults in a Primary Care System in Rural Philippines: A Descriptive Retrospective Cohort Study

Authors

  • April Faye P. Barbadillo, MD Department of Pediatrics, Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4233-1193
  • Leonila F. Dans, MD, MSc Department of Pediatrics, Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5271-270X
  • Carol Stephanie C. Tan-Lim, MD Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8815-4191
  • Cara Lois T. Galingana, BS Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Josephine T. Sanchez, BS Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Maria Rhodora N. Aquino Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Arianna Maever L. Amit Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Regine Ynez H. De Mesa, BA Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Mia P. Rey, PhD Department of Accounting and Finance, Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Janelle Micaela S. Panganiban Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Karl Engelene E. Poblete Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Nanette B. Sundiang, MD, MBA-H Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Antonio L. Dans, MD, MSc Philippine Primary Care Studies, Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman; Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9694-8757

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47895/amp.vi0.8320

Keywords:

turnaround time, primary care, electronic medical records, pandemic, Philippines

Abstract

Background. Turnaround time is an integral component of primary healthcare and is a key performance indicator of healthcare delivery. It is defined as the time patients spend during a healthcare facility visit. In this study, turnaround time is defined as the time elapsed from registration to the end of consultation.

Objectives. This study aimed to determine the turnaround time of consults in the primary care system in a rural site in the Philippines, and compare turnaround time during the pre-pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic periods.

Methods. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients seen at the primary care facility under the Philippine Primary Care Studies (PPCS) rural site from April 2019 to March 2021. Patients included in this study were chosen through random sampling. Electronic medical records (EMR) of these patients were reviewed. Turnaround time was computed electronically from time of registration to end of consultation. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize data and report turnaround time. The turnaround time before and during the pandemic was compared using an independent sample t-test (if normally distributed) or Mann Whitney U test (if not normally distributed). A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results. A random sample of 342 patients out of the total 45,501 patient consults seen at the rural primary healthcare facility from April 2019 to March 2021 were included in this study. The median turnaround time was 29.0 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 68.3), with range of 0.9 to 437.2 minutes. During the pre-pandemic period, the median turnaround time of consults is 29.3 minutes (IQR 70.4) which is 1.8 minutes longer than the pandemic period which showed median turnaround time of 27.5 minutes (IQR 72.7). The difference between the two time periods was not statistically significant (P = 0.39).

Conclusion. The study showed that the median turnaround time of medical consults was 29.0 minutes, which was shorter by 80 minutes compared to other published Philippine studies. The turnaround time did not differ significantly in the pandemic and prepandemic period, despite new policies and systems that were implemented during the pandemic.

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Published

2024-10-15

Issue

Vol. 58 No. 18 (2024)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

1.
Turnaround Time of Consults in a Primary Care System in Rural Philippines: A Descriptive Retrospective Cohort Study. Acta Med Philipp [Internet]. 2024 Oct. 15 [cited 2025 Apr. 24];58(18). Available from: https://actamedicaphilippina.upm.edu.ph/index.php/acta/article/view/8320

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