Patient Scheduling And Program Management System Barangay Health Center

Is transforming how healthcare services are delivered in the community. By simplifying processes such as appointment scheduling and program coordination, it has significantly reduced administrative tasks and improved efficiency. Staff and patients value its intuitive design, reliability, and the way it enhances access to quality care, marking a key step forward in modernizing local healthcare.

Patient Scheduling and Program Management System for Barangay Health Center Introduction

As part of our academic journey, our team undertook the capstone project, “Patient Scheduling And Program Management System Barangay Health Center”, for Barangay Health Center in Negros Occidental. This project was designed to address significant administrative and healthcare delivery challenges through a comprehensive digital solution. Barangay Health Center plays a vital role in delivering essential healthcare services to its population of 31,000 residents. However, the centre faced inefficiencies caused by manual record-keeping processes and limited resources. These issues hindered effective healthcare delivery, prompting the need for modernization to optimize resource utilization and enhance access to healthcare services.

The main challenge tackled by this project was the reliance on manual systems for patient scheduling and program management. This outdated approach resulted in delays in healthcare delivery, mismanagement of resources, and challenges in implementing health programs. These inefficiencies directly affected the resident’s ability to access timely and effective care. Resolving these issues was crucial not only to improve service delivery but also to align with the government’s push for digitalization and modernization in healthcare.

Extensive research was conducted to inform the development of the system. The team engaged in interviews and discussions with healthcare staff to identify key challenges and user requirements. An initial prototype of the system was developed and presented to stakeholders for feedback. This feedback was analyzed and incorporated into subsequent iterations, ensuring that the final product effectively addressed the centre’s needs.

The team also employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the system’s usability and functionality. Data from the PSSUQ assessments provided valuable insights into areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, guiding further refinements to the system.

One of the system’s key features is its ability to automate patient appointment scheduling. This eliminates long wait times and minimizes scheduling conflicts, allowing healthcare staff to focus more on providing quality care. According to a study by the Department of Health (https://doh.gov.ph/), automation in healthcare reduces administrative workloads by up to 30%, improving overall efficiency.

The system centralizes patient medical histories, ensuring that healthcare providers have access to accurate and up-to-date information. This improves the quality of care and enables better decision-making. Centralized records also allow for seamless program coordination, which is vital for implementing health initiatives in Barangay.

With its program management features, the system optimizes resource allocation and ensures the timely execution of healthcare initiatives. From vaccination drives to feeding programs, the system simplifies coordination and enhances outcomes. This aligns with the government’s digitalization initiatives aimed at improving public healthcare services.

The project’s main objective was to develop an automated Patient Scheduling and Program Management System to improve healthcare efficiency and accessibility at Barangay Health Center.

We aimed to create a solution that would:

  • streamline patient appointment scheduling to improve service delivery;
  • track and manage patient medical histories for better care coordination;
  • centralize health program management to enhance resource allocation and implementation;
  • generate accurate and accessible reports for informed decision-making;
  • allow administrators to manage patient records effectively, including searching, updating, and deleting entries.

The intuitive interface of the Patient Scheduling and Program Management System has been a highlight for both staff and patients. Its straightforward navigation and clear layout make it easy to use, even for those with minimal technical expertise. Feedback from users at Barangay Health Center underscores the importance of a system that prioritizes usability.

The system has improved access to healthcare for barangay residents by automating and optimizing processes. Patients can schedule appointments conveniently, and healthcare staff can manage their time and resources more effectively, ensuring better service delivery.

The resulting system, titled “Patient Scheduling and Program Management System,” was designed to automate key processes at Barangay Health Center. It streamlined patient appointment scheduling, tracked medical histories, and facilitated program management. Additionally, the system provided tools for generating automated reports and reminders, which enhanced administrative workflows and reduced manual workload.

The design prioritized user-friendliness, security, and scalability to ensure that the system could adapt to future healthcare needs. The solution was tailored to the health centre’s unique requirements, ensuring its practicality and long-term relevance.

The implementation phase lasted six months and involved collaboration between healthcare staff and IT professionals. Despite challenges such as limited resources and a tight timeline, the system was successfully deployed and yielded significant results. Administrative efficiency improved dramatically, allowing healthcare staff to focus more on patient care.

Feedback from stakeholders was overwhelmingly positive, with the system receiving high usability ratings in the PSSUQ evaluation. The system scored an average of 1.21 for System Usefulness, 1.20 for Information Quality, and 1.20 for Interface Quality, all interpreted as “Strongly Agree.” These results reflected the system’s ability to meet the health centre’s needs and improve healthcare delivery.

The project highlighted the importance of user-centred design and the iterative development process. Collaborating closely with stakeholders was crucial to ensuring that the system met real-world requirements. The project emphasized the need for continuous evaluation and updates to maintain the system’s effectiveness.

This experience also provided valuable lessons in teamwork, problem-solving, and applying technical knowledge to address community challenges. It demonstrated the transformative potential of digital solutions in enhancing healthcare delivery.

Conclusion

The “Patient Scheduling and Program Management System” represents a significant step forward in addressing healthcare challenges in Barangay. By streamlining operations and empowering healthcare providers, the system has enhanced the quality and accessibility of care for residents. This project not only addressed immediate needs but also contributed to broader efforts to modernize healthcare infrastructure and support digital transformation initiatives.

As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, similar projects have the potential to drive innovation and improve community outcomes. This project’s success underscores the importance of integrating technology into healthcare and inspires future endeavours in digital healthcare transformation.

Materials and Methods: The study introduces an operational framework that includes input, process, output, and outcome. It highlights the application of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) with an emphasis on prototyping to gather user feedback and refine the system. Data was collected from cooperative members and employees through interviews and questionnaires, which contributed to the development, testing, and validation of modules for patient scheduling and program management systems.

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework used in the proposed project. The framework guides a system to optimize healthcare at the Barangay Health Centre. It processes inputs like patient data and resources, schedules appointments efficiently, allocates resources effectively, and manages programs. Outputs include reports on improved patient access, administrative efficiency, and better health outcomes.

System Development Life Cycle

The project employs a prototyping approach within the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to iteratively refine system functionalities in response to stakeholder feedback and changing requirements. The development process involves close collaboration with the Barangay Health Center, starting with a preliminary prototype created through trial and error to meet initial criteria. This model facilitates clear communication, enabling the team to prioritize essential functionalities for patient scheduling and program management. Iterative testing and client feedback allow early identification and resolution of potential issues, reducing the risk of significant problems during implementation.

The rapid design phase produced an initial user interface, addressing key unknowns in system functionalities. Continuous refinement transformed the prototype into an operational system tailored to the health centre’s needs. Stakeholder feedback was instrumental in aligning the system with the centre’s requirements. The final stage involved implementing the refined system, ensuring it met expectations for efficiency and effectiveness in managing patient scheduling and programs. The prototyping approach emphasized collaboration, adaptability, and iterative improvement, resulting in a robust solution customized for Barangay Health Center.

Architectural Design

Displays the system’s architectural diagram, which shows its functionality for various users. Additionally, the illustration demonstrates that the system’s Online hosting will provide dynamic user access.

Schedule Feasibility: Gantt Chart The tasks and accompanying schedules of the researchers for the first system design are shown in the Gantt chart below. A Gantt chart is a visual aid that compares the work completed during a specific period to the projected amount of work, using horizontal lines to show progress or completion of Patient Scheduling and Program Management System activity. Gantt charts help teams plan tasks within time constraints and distribute resources sensibly and efficiently.

The following figures illustrate the key diagrams of the patient scheduling and program management system in Barangay Health Center.

Figure 4 shows the Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD), which highlights the relationships between entity sets within the database. Each entity and its connections are clearly represented, serving as the structural foundation for organizing and recording data in the system.

Figure 5 presents the context diagram, offering a high-level view of the system’s interactions with external entities such as patients, health workers, and administrative staff. It identifies the inputs and outputs exchanged between these entities and the system.

Figure 6 depicts the Data Flow Diagram (DFD), which illustrates how data flows through various processes, data stores, and external entities. This detailed visualization highlights the system’s functional aspects and data-processing mechanisms.

Healthcare

Use Case Diagram: A use case diagram shows the system’s numerous use cases and user types, and usually, other diagrams accompany it. A use case diagram visually shows a system’s dynamic character. The researchers use a simplified graphical representation to demonstrate what the system should do in a given use scenario. More diagrams and documentation are needed to give a complete functional and technical perspective of the system.

The study concludes that the Patient Scheduling and Program Management System at Barangay Health Center significantly enhances healthcare delivery by improving efficiency, enabling health workers to focus more on patient care, and providing timely, accurate information. Users unanimously agree on the system’s ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and time-saving benefits, which are vital in resource-limited healthcare environments. The system’s robust accuracy and security features ensure patient data confidentiality and integrity, addressing critical concerns in healthcare. Additionally, the improved organization facilitated by the system strengthens client relationships, leading to better healthcare outcomes. Aligned with national digitalization initiatives, the system effectively meets the health centre’s operational needs while supporting broader modernization efforts in healthcare infrastructure.