Patient Appointment Queue Management

Queue Management helps organize patient flow in real time by assigning queue numbers, tracking positions, and estimating wait times.

It ensures a smooth consultation flow and reduces waiting confusion for both patients and staff.

Where It Works

Queue Management is integrated within:

Home → Healthcare → Patient Appointment

It becomes active when a patient is Checked In.

How Queue is Generated

When a patient checks in:

• A Queue Number is automatically assigned (e.g., OPD-001)
• The patient is added to the doctor’s queue
• Queue Position is calculated based on check-in time
• Estimated Wait Time is auto-calculated
• Queue is maintained per practitioner and per date

Queue Fields

Field	Description
Queue Number	Unique token number for the patient (auto-generated)
Queue Position	Patient’s position in the queue
Check-In Time	Time when patient arrives and is checked in
Estimated Wait (minutes)	Calculated wait time based on queue
Status	Current appointment status (Waiting, In Consultation, Completed, etc.)

Queue Workflow

Patient flow follows this sequence:

Scheduled → Checked In → Waiting → In Consultation → Completed

Status Meaning

Status	Description
Checked In	Patient has arrived
Waiting	Patient is in queue
In Consultation	Doctor is currently seeing the patient
Completed	Consultation finished
Cancelled / No Show	Patient did not attend

Queue Calculation Logic

Queue is built based on Check-In Time (FIFO logic)
Earlier check-in = higher priority

Queue is recalculated automatically whenever there is a change in patient status, such as:

• A patient is moved to consultation
• An appointment is completed or cancelled

Estimated Wait Time

Estimated wait time is calculated as:

Queue Position × Average Consultation Duration

Average consultation duration is derived from the Appointment Type configuration and updates dynamically as the queue changes.

Real-Time Queue Updates

The system automatically updates:

• Queue positions
• Waiting time
• Next patient

Whenever:

• A patient status changes
• A new patient checks in
• A consultation is completed

Next Patient (Reception Dashboard)

Reception dashboard highlights the next patients in queue:

• Shows upcoming patients for each doctor
• Helps staff call the next patient quickly
• Provides quick visibility of queue flow

Queue Status View

A dedicated Queue Status View provides:

• Full list of patients in queue
• Their positions and wait time
• Practitioner-wise queue tracking

Useful for:

• Reception staff
• Hospital administrators
• Monitoring patient flow

Key Benefits

• Reduces patient waiting confusion
• Improves doctor workflow
• Enables real-time tracking
• Enhances patient experience
• Supports operational efficiency

Important Notes

• Queue starts only after Check-In
• Cancelled or completed patients are removed from queue
• Queue is maintained per practitioner
• Multiple practitioners maintain separate queues