A Queuing Theory Based Performance Evaluation of Patient Flow in a Hospital Outpatient Department

Efficient patient flow management is a critical concern in hospital outpatient departments (OPDs), particularly in public healthcare systems where limited resources and high patient arrival rates often result in congestion and long waiting times.Queuing Theory, a prominent branch of Operational Research, provides a systematic approach to analyze such service systems.This paper presents a detailed performance evaluation of a hospital OPD using the M/M/1 queuing model.Key performance indicators such as average waiting time, queue length, system utilization, and service efficiency are analytically derived and numerically illustrated using real-life inspired data.The study highlights how mathematical modeling can support healthcare administrators in improving service quality and optimizing resource allocation.