The waiting game: determinants and effects of OPD service delays in a Tertiary Health Facility

Interventions should include enhanced patient education, gender-sensitive practices, expanded weekend services, optimisedp scheduling, and digital queue management systems. Policymakers and hospital administrators must priioritise these strategies to reduce waiting times, improve patient satisfaction, and enhance healthcare outcomes. Though the study offers some insights into the determinants of waiting times, it also has some limitations. The study was conducted at a single tertiary hospital, limiting generalizability. Some potential determinants, such as patient health status, severity of illness, and organisational factors, were not assessed. Additionally, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inferences.