The outpatient availability score: an alternative approach to measuring demand.

Radiology business managers are challenged daily to maximize access, improve utilization, and enhance the efficiency of very costly resources. They rely on a variety of reports, metrics, and indicators to make operational decisions. Among the many metrics managers track today, one of the more inexact is the determination of outpatient appointment availability. The outpatient availability score (OAS) was developed to improve how access to resources is predicted in the department of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital by accounting for patient preference. The OAS uses a range of predictors (thresholds) to determine the low, medium, and high likelihood that patients will find appointments suitable for them. The OAS can be customized to fit individual operations by adjusting these thresholds as fluctuations in demand dictate. The OAS is more useful than other current methodologies for measuring availability, such as next appointment availability or third next appointment availability, for the following reasons: (1) the OAS forecasts availability for an extended period of time, (2) the OAS forecasts the quantity of available appointments, and (3) the OAS is a better indication of the department's ability to satisfy patients' appointment needs. The OAS used in conjunction with other measures (such as the third next available appointment) of availability affords managers a clearer picture of access and the ability to deal proactively with demand to run more efficient operations.