Healthcare Service Accessibility Path Planner: Unveiling a New Era of Intelligent Appointment Management Systems Based on Outpatient Prioritizing

In light of increased constraints on healthcare systems, particularly as a result of the pandemic, the importance of directing patients to the appropriate healthcare departments for individualized treatment based on their health conditions has been emphasized. Numerous healthcare institutions currently employ an online booking system that enables patients to schedule appointments. However, because patient requests are the main driving force behind this process, appointments with inappropriate departments or the bypassing of primary care facilities like general practice clinics frequently occur. Many studies proposed the use of AI-based chatbots and machine learning algorithms in healthcare systems to improve clinic operations, reduce patient wait times, and predict outpatient appointment no-show rates. This paper describes the conception and implementation steps of an innovative (mhealth app) that uses open AI tools to prioritize and classify outpatients based on their symptoms. Our AI-based appointment scheduling app will decide for the outpatient either to schedule appointments with primary care facilities or direct them to the appropriate healthcare department in hospitals only when absolutely necessary, thereby nurturing a more efficient, patient-centered healthcare service.