Several hospitals in North China's Shanxi province recently started implementing the medical service model of "one medical appointment for three days", aiming to give patients an enhanced medical experience. 

The service model means patients only need to register once for the entire outpatient process, including registration, diagnosis, examination, and medication collection. 

If additional tests and examinations are needed but cannot be completed on the same day, patients are authorized by the attending physician to revisit the hospital within three days (including the day of the initial visit) without having to pay for a second registration fee for the same department or disease. 

The Shanxi Provincial Health Commission has released its first batch of pilot hospitals for the service model in the eight cities of Datong, Xinzhou, Shuozhou, Lyuliang, Yangquan, Changzhi, Jincheng, and Yuncheng, as well as at Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, and the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University. 

Since the service was launched on Dec 1, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, for example, has provided it to 676 revisiting patients, with a cumulative fee reduction of 10,970 yuan ($1,531.90). 

"The extension of the valid period for an appointment registration number is one example of how medical services for patients has been optimized," said Li Juan, director of the hospital's outpatient department.

The service model is planned to be extended to all second-tier and above public hospitals in the province by the end of 2024. 

Currently, while accelerating the implementation of people-oriented measures, several hospitals in Shanxi have also been exploring initiatives such as balancing the availability of initial and revisit appointments based on doctors' consultations and implementing appointment booking in designated time periods.

These efforts aim to provide high-quality medical services to patients to the greatest extent possible.