Impact of a Structured Triage and Patient Flow Intervention on Outpatient Waiting Time in a Secondary Care Hospital in Sri Lanka: A Quasi-Experimental Quality Improvement Study
Liyanage D.H1* & Kulathilaka C. C2
Abstract
Background: Patient waiting time is a key indicator of healthcare quality, service efficiency, accessibility, and patient satisfaction. Excessive waiting time contributes to patient dissatisfaction, overcrowding, inefficient resource utilisation, and reduced effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Secondary care hospitals frequently experience high patient volumes, making optimisation of outpatient services an important management priority. Objective: To assess outpatient waiting time and evaluate the effectiveness of a structured patient triage and flow-management intervention in a secondary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Methods: A quasi-experimental quality improvement study was conducted in three phases using mixed methods. Phase I involved assessment of baseline outpatient processes through patient time-record forms, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, direct observations, and document review. Phase II consisted of the development and implementation of a structured triage and patient-flow intervention. Phase III evaluated post-intervention outcomes using identical study instruments. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistics, while qualitative findings underwent thematic analysis. Results: A total of 249 participants were analysed during the baseline phase and 267 participants during the post-intervention phase. Baseline mean consultation time, pharmacy dispensing time, total outpatient department (OPD) time, and queue waiting time were 3.41, 2.34, 30.95, and 25.20 minutes, respectively. Following implementation of the intervention, consultation time increased to 5.44 minutes, pharmacy dispensing time decreased to 2.05 minutes, total OPD time reduced to 23.06 minutes, and queue waiting time decreased to 19.02 minutes. The intervention resulted in a 25.5% reduction in total OPD time and a 24.5% reduction in queue waiting time while increasing clinician consultation time by 59.5%. Conclusion: Implementation of a structured patient triage and flow-management system significantly improved OPD efficiency while enhancing clinician–patient interaction time. Low-cost organisational interventions can substantially improve healthcare quality, patient experience, and operational performance in secondary care hospitals.
Keywords
outpatient department; waiting time; patient flow; triage system; quality improvement; secondary care hospital; Sri Lanka
Cite This Article
Liyanage, D. H., Kulathilake, C. C. (2026). Impact of a Structured Triage and Patient Flow Intervention on Outpatient Waiting Time in a Secondary Care Hospital in Sri Lanka: A Quasi-Experimental Quality Improvement Study. International Journal of Scientific Advances (IJSCIA), Volume 7| Issue 3: May – Jun 2026, Pages 417-420 URL: https://www.ijscia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Volume7-Issue3-May-Jun-No.1056-417-420.pdf
Volume 7 | Issue 3: May – Jun 2026
