Lay summary
This activation grant seeks to begin developing a better understanding of scheduling system failures (SSF) in hospital outpatient appointments, a significant issue impacting healthcare systems and care coordination, especially in rural and Māori populations in Aotearoa New Zealand. The project aims to describe SSF, review literature on SSF predictors, and identify key stakeholders for improving scheduling systems. Activities include developing stakeholder relationships, basic descriptive analysis of quantitative SSF data, and preparing key questions for stakeholder interviews. The project will aim to incorporate Kaupapa Māori perspectives, geospatial modeling, and innovative digital solutions informed by traditional Māori craft technology, to develop more efficient, equitable, and culturally appropriate scheduling systems, ultimately aiming to reduce SSF and improve care coordination for priority populations.