Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Radiographer Staffing Levels on Patient Throughput and Waiting Times at General Hospitals in Ogun State

Radiographer staffing levels are a primary determinant of imaging service capacity, and the empirical relationship between staffing numbers, patient throughput, and waiting times at district general hospitals in Nigerian states has not been formally investigated. In Ogun State, South West Nigeria, where secondary hospital radiology departments serve large catchment populations with limited staffing, this relationship requires empirical analysis. This study empirically analyses the impact of radiographer staffing levels on patient throughput and waiting times at general hospitals in Ogun State. A correlational longitudinal design tracks radiographer staffing levels, daily examination volumes, and patient waiting times over a twelve-month period at twelve general hospitals across Abeokuta North, Ijebu Ode, and Sagamu local government areas. Monthly data on staffing, throughput, equipment uptime, and waiting times are collected from hospital records. Panel data regression with random effects in STATA evaluates the staffing-throughput and staffing-waiting time relationships, controlling for equipment availability and examination type mix. Available radiology staffing literature from South West Nigerian hospitals identifies a one-unit increase in radiographer staffing as associated with a 12 to 18 additional examination capacity per day, yet this relationship has not been empirically modelled in the Ogun State context. The Queuing Theory framework provides the operations management analytical reference. Findings are expected to establish a statistically significant staffing-throughput elasticity specific to the Ogun State district hospital context. Recommendations address evidence-based staffing norms for Ogun State radiology departments and health ministry workforce planning. Keywords: radiographer staffing, patient throughput, waiting times, Ogun State, South West Nigeria.