Journal of Health and Biomedical Informatics

Introduction: Sharp rise in health care costs associated with the reduction of hospitals' support by government has increased the importance of insurance organizations as the main source of hospitals' income. An important part of hospitals’ demands is related to the medical records of Iranian Health Insurance organization that are subject to deductions and are deduced from the hospitals’ demands after investigating the cause of defect in the process.
Methods: The present study was conducted as a retrospective descriptive research. In this study, sampling was not conducted and all incomplete files of patients covered by Iranian Health Insurance Organization in the reference hospital (n=30) were entered into the study. Data of checklists were entered into Excel software version 22 and the causes were determined by using Fishbone diagram. Six-sigma scale was used to analyze the quality of the process.
Results: Process errors were detected in 6 groups and the highest error rates were respectively related to pharmaceutical orders control stages, entering them in cards and requesting drug through drug delivering system. The quality of the reviewed process was evaluated as moderate level based on the calculated sigma. The highest rate of error was related to the records of patients covered by rural fund of non-global services.
Conclusion: Measures such as staff training, monitoring and updating the record keeping system and improving external parts coordination can greatly reduce errors in three above-mentioned stages.
 

Introduction: Waiting time is one of the factors affecting patients' satisfaction with the quality of services, therefore, reducing the waiting time has an essential role in the improvement of services and clients' satisfaction. The present study was performed to study the client patients waiting time in referral restorative dentistry department of dental clinic using Six Sigma model.
Method: In this descriptive study, 300 patients who referred to the restorative dentistry department of dental clinic, were included. Finally, 30 subjects were selected using random sampling method. Data were collected by waiting time measurement forms and researcher-made checklists. To determine the process quality, six sigma model was used. Finally, data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.
Results: The highest mean waiting time belonged to the oral diseases department (mean=31 min) and the lowest one belonged to the examination unit of restorative dentistry department (mean=15 min). The most important factors extending the waiting time were simultaneous entrance of patients (mean=4.6 min), lack of medical students' skill and experience (mean=4.2 min), lack of employees and integration of reception unit with cash desk (mean=4 min), respectively.  
Conclusion: Therefore, by analyzing reception process, appropriate management, and using Six Sigma model, waiting time will reduce, clients' satisfaction will increase, and the quality of services will improve.