Impact of a computerized patient tracking system in a pediatric clinic.

A computerized patient tracking system with an intuitive graphical interface was deployed in a large multidisciplinary pediatric outpatient clinic and has been enthusiastically embraced by both physicians and non-physician staff. Usage of the computerized patient tracking system has been associated with a significant decrease in the total time patients spend in the clinic. The total duration of an average patient visit has declined from 99.25 +/- 57.44 minutes to 66.94 +/- 30.47 minutes (p = 0.03). Most of this decrease has been due to a decrease in total waiting time from 54.17 +/- 37.61 minutes to 27.29 +/- 14.05 minutes (p = 0.006). Usage of the patient tracking system has also been associated with a significant increase in examination room utilization during peak business hours from 58.47 +/- 21.18% to 64.49 +/- 13.38% (p = 0.0329).