Improving the appointment system of the Naval Hospital of Athens

This paper is concerned with a methodology for the optimal arrangement of the clinics of an outpatient department. It takes into consideration the number of patients that can be seen at each clinic on a day and tries to schedule the clinics so that to alleviate the congestion problems created in the outpatient department without decreasing the total number of patients seen. The methodology used is that of goal programming and can be applied in most outpatient departments with an appointment system in the clinics. It is developed through its application in the Naval Hospital of Athens.