{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/16566"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/16566","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Assessing the impact of a waiting time survey on reducing waiting times in primary care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa","abstract":"Objective: A waiting time survey (WTS), conducted in 2007 at 94% of clinics in Cape Town, measured length of patient waiting times (WT) for services and provided recommendations to shorten waiting times. Whether subsequent implementation of these recommendations occurred was unknown, hence a study was conducted to assess the impact of the previous waiting time survey recommendations on stimulating efforts to reduce waiting times and whether waiting times had reduced. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study design assessed the perceptions of 92% of clinic managers in Cape Town, regarding the 2007 survey, while a before and after study design assessed changes in waiting time between 2007 and 2011, using a random sample of 22 clinics. Results: The overall median waiting time of all clinics in the sample decreased by 21 minutes in 2011 (95% CI 11.77-30.23), a 28% decrease from 2007. This reduction was manifest at individual clinic level as well, with 55% of clinics reducing their median waiting time by at least 15 minutes. No specific factors, including whether recommendations to reduce waiting times were implemented, were associated with decreases in waiting times. Implementation of recommendations to reduce waiting times was 2.67 times (95% CI 1.33-5.40) more likely amongst those who received written recommendations and 2.3 times ) 95% CI 1.28-4.19) more likely amongst managers with 5 or more years' experience. Conclusion: The decrease in waiting times in primary care urban clinics subsequent to a waiting time survey, demonstrates the utility of waiting times surveys, although no specific factors associated with the decrease in waiting time were identified.","abstract_html":"Objective: A waiting time survey (WTS), conducted in 2007 at 94% of clinics in Cape Town, measured length of patient waiting times (WT) for services and provided recommendations to shorten waiting times. Whether subsequent implementation of these recommendations occurred was unknown, hence a study was conducted to assess the impact of the previous waiting time survey recommendations on stimulating efforts to reduce waiting times and whether waiting times had reduced. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study design assessed the perceptions of 92% of clinic managers in Cape Town, regarding the 2007 survey, while a before and after study design assessed changes in waiting time between 2007 and 2011, using a random sample of 22 clinics. Results: The overall median waiting time of all clinics in the sample decreased by 21 minutes in 2011 (95% CI 11.77-30.23), a 28% decrease from 2007. This reduction was manifest at individual clinic level as well, with 55% of clinics reducing their median waiting time by at least 15 minutes. No specific factors, including whether recommendations to reduce waiting times were implemented, were associated with decreases in waiting times. Implementation of recommendations to reduce waiting times was 2.67 times (95% CI 1.33-5.40) more likely amongst those who received written recommendations and 2.3 times ) 95% CI 1.28-4.19) more likely amongst managers with 5 or more years' experience. Conclusion: The decrease in waiting times in primary care urban clinics subsequent to a waiting time survey, demonstrates the utility of waiting times surveys, although no specific factors associated with the decrease in waiting time were identified.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Daniels, Johann Alexander"],"institution":"Department of Public Health and Family Medicine","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Zweigenthal, Virginia","Reagon Gavin"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015","date_published":"2015","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:09Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/16566","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Zweigenthal, Virginia","Reagon Gavin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Daniels, Johann Alexander"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2016-01-26T12:04:34Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-01-26T12:04:34Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2015"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Public Health and Family Medicine"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MPH"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/16566"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Includes bibliographical references."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Objective: A waiting time survey (WTS), conducted in 2007 at 94% of clinics in Cape Town, measured length of patient waiting times (WT) for services and provided recommendations to shorten waiting times. Whether subsequent implementation of these recommendations occurred was unknown, hence a study was conducted to assess the impact of the previous waiting time survey recommendations on stimulating efforts to reduce waiting times and whether waiting times had reduced. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study design assessed the perceptions of 92% of clinic managers in Cape Town, regarding the 2007 survey, while a before and after study design assessed changes in waiting time between 2007 and 2011, using a random sample of 22 clinics. Results: The overall median waiting time of all clinics in the sample decreased by 21 minutes in 2011 (95% CI 11.77-30.23), a 28% decrease from 2007. This reduction was manifest at individual clinic level as well, with 55% of clinics reducing their median waiting time by at least 15 minutes. No specific factors, including whether recommendations to reduce waiting times were implemented, were associated with decreases in waiting times. Implementation of recommendations to reduce waiting times was 2.67 times (95% CI 1.33-5.40) more likely amongst those who received written recommendations and 2.3 times ) 95% CI 1.28-4.19) more likely amongst managers with 5 or more years' experience. Conclusion: The decrease in waiting times in primary care urban clinics subsequent to a waiting time survey, demonstrates the utility of waiting times surveys, although no specific factors associated with the decrease in waiting time were identified."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Assessing the impact of a waiting time survey on reducing waiting times in primary care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Zweigenthal, Virginia","Reagon Gavin"],"dc:creator":["Daniels, Johann Alexander"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2016-01-26T12:04:34Z"],"dc:date.available":["2016-01-26T12:04:34Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2015"],"dc:description":["Includes bibliographical references."],"dc:description.abstract":["Objective: A waiting time survey (WTS), conducted in 2007 at 94% of clinics in Cape Town, measured length of patient waiting times (WT) for services and provided recommendations to shorten waiting times. Whether subsequent implementation of these recommendations occurred was unknown, hence a study was conducted to assess the impact of the previous waiting time survey recommendations on stimulating efforts to reduce waiting times and whether waiting times had reduced. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study design assessed the perceptions of 92% of clinic managers in Cape Town, regarding the 2007 survey, while a before and after study design assessed changes in waiting time between 2007 and 2011, using a random sample of 22 clinics. Results: The overall median waiting time of all clinics in the sample decreased by 21 minutes in 2011 (95% CI 11.77-30.23), a 28% decrease from 2007. This reduction was manifest at individual clinic level as well, with 55% of clinics reducing their median waiting time by at least 15 minutes. No specific factors, including whether recommendations to reduce waiting times were implemented, were associated with decreases in waiting times. Implementation of recommendations to reduce waiting times was 2.67 times (95% CI 1.33-5.40) more likely amongst those who received written recommendations and 2.3 times ) 95% CI 1.28-4.19) more likely amongst managers with 5 or more years' experience. Conclusion: The decrease in waiting times in primary care urban clinics subsequent to a waiting time survey, demonstrates the utility of waiting times surveys, although no specific factors associated with the decrease in waiting time were identified."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/16566"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Public Health and Family Medicine"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Assessing the impact of a waiting time survey on reducing waiting times in primary care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MPH"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:09Z"}