A Pre–Post Comparison of Service Operational Efficiency and Patient Satisfaction Under Open Access Scheduling Diane H. Parente Mary Beth Pinto Joseph C. Barber Abstract: Three benefits of Open Access scheduling are tested pre- and postimplementation. Open Access improved operational efficiency, decreased number of days between appointment scheduling and being seen by a physician, and allowed more patients to see their primary care physician. Finally, results indicated that there was no significant difference in patient satisfaction. T he consumer revolution in health care has had many beneficial effects. In today’s customer- focused health care market, patients are more involved in decision making, not just in choosing among health plans and providers, but also by participating directly in decisions about their treatment. Patients are also routinely asked to evaluate the quality of the services they receive and their level of satisfaction. Customer (patient) satisfaction is now an operational priority and an integral part of a health care organiza- tion’s mission and culture. 1 This emphasis on satisfac- tion is not new. For decades academicians and health care researchers have tried to explain satisfaction, its determinants and consequences. It has been of criti- cal importance to health care professionals because sat- isfied patients are more likely to return for additional medical care, to comply with recommended treatment plans, and be willing to continue the relationship with a physician or health care provider. 2–6 As health care professionals struggle with ongoing pressures of cost containment, consumerism, and alternative modes of service delivery, interest in patient satisfaction has not waned. Patient satisfaction is a complicated multidimen- sional construct that researchers have conceptualized in many ways. 2–5,7,8 Although there is no widespread agreement about the actual dimensions of satisfaction, numerous studies have cited the importance of ‘‘access’’ as a determinant of satisfaction. 6,9–13 Access falls under ‘‘system factors,’’ the physical or technical aspects of the service encounter. 4 Access specifically includes ‘‘phys- ical location of facility, hours of operation, telephone access, appointment waiting time, and time in waiting room.’’ 6(p.855) In more general terms, access refers to ‘‘patients’ ability to seek and receive primary care in a timely manner.’’ 10(p.45) Unfortunately, under traditional July–September  2005 220 Health Care Manage Rev, 2005, 30(3), 220-228 A 2005 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. Diane H. Parente, PhD, is Associate Professor of Management, Sam & Irene Black School of Business, Penn State Erie, Pennsylvania. E-mail: dhp3@psu.edu. Mary Beth Pinto, PhD, is Associate Professor of Marketing, Sam & Irene Black School of Business, Penn State Erie, Pennsylvania. E-mail: mxp49@psu.edu. Joseph C. Barber, MD, Erie Pediatrics, Pennsylvania. E-mail: JBarber@cc-peds.net. Key words: medical practice improvement, Open Access scheduling, patient satisfaction Copyr ight © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthor iz ed reproduction of this article is prohibited.