Which of the following is a benefit of open hours scheduling?

The benefit of open hours scheduling primarily lies in its ability to reduce the number of missed appointments. This scheduling approach allows patients to come in without a fixed appointment time, which can accommodate those who may have uncertain schedules or experience last-minute changes in their availability. As a result, patients are more likely to attend their visits since they don’t feel confined by a specific time slot. This flexibility can lead to higher attendance rates and optimized patient care.

The other options do not capture the main advantage of open hours scheduling effectively. For instance, increased predictability of patient volumes is typically not achieved with open hours, as they can lead to fluctuations in how many patients arrive at any given time. While maximizing the use of patient slots is a potential benefit, it doesn’t address the individual patient's likelihood to attend, which is a primary concern. Equal wait times for all patients is less feasible with open hours, as patient arrivals can vary significantly, leading to disparities in the time each patient spends waiting.