Transcript Chapter Ten Scheduling Appointments

Scheduling Appointments
Chapter 10
Copyright © 2008, 2005, by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction
Scheduling keeps the office functioning smoothly
throughout the business day.
If scheduling is not done efficiently, the entire office does
not function efficiently.
Copyright © 2008, 2005, by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 2
This chapter will examine:

Three methods of appointment scheduling

How to recover from schedule interruptions

Setting up a scheduling matrix

Dealing with consistently late patients

Reasons for failed appointments
Copyright © 2008, 2005, by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 3
Guidelines for Appointment Scheduling
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Some offices stick to a
strict schedule.
Some are more flexible.
Some are never on
schedule, no matter
what day or time an
appointment is made.
Copyright © 2008, 2005, by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 4
Guidelines for Appointment Scheduling
Appointment scheduling systems must be individualized to
each specific practice.
When scheduling, consider three things:

Patient need

Physician preference and habits

Available facilities
Copyright © 2008, 2005, by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 5
Patient Needs
Determining Office Hours and Appointment Times:

Is the office located in a busy metropolitan area or a
rural area?
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What are the average ages of the patients?
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Is the area more industrial or residential?
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What types of patients are seen?

Are evening and weekend appointments essential for
most of the patients served?
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Slide 6
Assessing Patient Needs
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What is the purpose of the visit?
Will the patient require the physician’s time, or will other
staff members perform all or part of the service?
What is the age of the patient?
– Does the patient need an after-school appointment?
– Does the patient object to traveling after dark?
– Will the patient have problems taking off work for
appointments?
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Slide 7
Physician Preferences and Habits
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Does the physician become restless if the reception
room is not packed with waiting patients?
Does the physician worry if even one patient is kept
waiting?
Is the physician methodic and careful about being in the
facility when patient appointments are scheduled to
begin?
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Slide 8
Physician Preferences and Habits
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Is the physician habitually late?
Does the physician move easily from one patient to
another?
Does the physician require a break time after a few
patients?
Would the physician rather see fewer patients and
spend more time with them or more patients throughout
the day?
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Slide 9
Available Facilities
Make certain that the facilities needed for each patient will
be available when scheduling appointments.
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Slide 10
Methods of Appointment Scheduling
The two most common methods of appointment
scheduling are:

Computer-based

Appointment book
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Slide 11
Appointment Books
Consider the following features when choosing an
appointment book.
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The size should conform to the desk space available.
The book should be large enough to accommodate the
practice.
The book should open flat for easy writing and
reference.
The book should allow space for writing when the
appointment will be, who the patient is, and why the
patient is being seen.
Bottom line = Physician preference
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Slide 12
Appointment Books
Color-coded books are easy
to use and are helpful
when the patient is to be
seen a certain number of
weeks later.
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Slide 13
Computer Scheduling
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Computers can select the best appointment time based
on the information entered about the patient.
The length of time needed for various procedures can be
entered in advance, and when that procedure is
scheduled, the correct time will be automatically
allotted.
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Slide 14
Computer Scheduling
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Computers can search by patient name and find all
scheduled appointments.
More than one person can use the scheduling program
at one time.
Printouts can be produced for all of the employees who
need that information.
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Slide 15
Self-Scheduling
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Patients can log on and schedule their own
appointments.
Allows for patient confidentiality by showing only
available appointment times.
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Reduces calls to the office.
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Available to patients 24 hours a day.

Computer-illiterate individuals will object to such a
system, so phone scheduling should still be made
available.
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Slide 16
Advance Preparation
Establishing a Matrix
Block off time slots when the physicians are not available:
- Holidays
- Days off
- Lunch, dinner, and other breaks
- Time for hospital rounds
- Meeting times
- Vacations
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Slide 17
Types of Appointment Scheduling
Open Office Hours
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Also called tidal wave scheduling.
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Patients are seen in the order of their arrival.
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Often used in rural practices.
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Can result in long wait times.
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Can overburden office staff members.
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Slide 18
Types of Appointment Scheduling
Scheduled Appointments
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Practitioners can see more patients with less pressure.
Scheduling appointments takes skill, organization, and
efficiency.
The scheduler must know the length of time involved
with various procedures and various classifications of
office visits.
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Slide 19
Types of Appointment Scheduling
Flexible Office Hours
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Evening hours
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Weekend hours
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Extended hours late in the evening
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Early morning hours
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Slide 20
Types of Appointment Scheduling
Wave Scheduling
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Creates short-term flexibility within each hour.
Assumes the actual time needed for all patients will even
out over the course of the day.
Schedules three patients for one time slot.
Those three patients are seen in the order of their
arrival.
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Slide 21
Types of Appointment Scheduling
Modified Wave Scheduling
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Two patients arrive at the top of an hour.
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A third patient arrives at half past the hour.
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This hourly cycle is repeated throughout the day.
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Can be modified further, such as scheduling three
patients for one hour and none the next hour.
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Slide 22
Types of Appointment Scheduling
Double Booking
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Scheduling two patients at the same time. Often
frustrating for patients.
Scheduler must consider the reason for the appointment
when using this method to ensure enough time is
allotted for the patients.
Grouping Procedures

Scheduling like procedures together
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Slide 23
Types of Appointment Scheduling
Advance Booking
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Set appointments far in advance whenever possible.
Give patients appointment cards to remind them of their
time and date.
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Confirm appointments as they approach.
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Reschedule if needed.
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Slide 24
Time Patterns
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Leave some open time during each day’s schedule.
Keep one available appointment in the morning and in
the afternoon.
Schedule time for the physician to take a break in the
morning and afternoon.
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Slide 25
Time Patterns
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Remember that Mondays and Fridays are heavy phone
and appointment days.
Allow for more buffer time on these two days.
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Slide 26
Patient Wait Time
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Be aware of the amount of time patients have been
waiting.
Patients should be called to the back office at their
scheduled appointment time.
Patients should not have to wait more than 5 or 10
minutes from then to see the physician
.
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Slide 27
Patient Wait Time (cont’d)
If the patient has waited more than 15 minutes in the reception
area, offer an explanation for the delay.
Give the patient the option of waiting or rescheduling
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Slide 28
Telephone Scheduling
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Use excellent telephone technique when scheduling
appointments.
Be considerate of requested times whenever possible.
Explain why a time is not available, and offer a
substitution.
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Slide 29
Offering Patients Choices
Offer the patient:
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A choice of days
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A choice of morning or afternoon
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A choice of times
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Slide 30
Writing in the Appointment Book
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Write legibly.
Remember that the appointment book may be
subpoenaed to court.
Put the patient’s contact phone number next to all
entries.
Use cell phone numbers whenever possible.
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Slide 31
Scheduling New Patients
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Gather as much information as possible on the
telephone when scheduling the first appointment.
Attempt to get all of the information needed to construct
the patient’s medical record.
Determine the amount of time needed for the office
visit.
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Slide 32
Scheduling New Patients
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Offer the first available appointment to the patient.
Remember to offer choices when scheduling the
appointment.
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Explain parking issues.
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Give accurate directions to the office.
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Explain the approximate cost for the first visit, and make
the patient aware of payment policies for new patients.
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Slide 33
Preparing for New Patients
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Mail patient information packets if there is time before
the actual appointment date.
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Send the information via email if possible.
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Determine if the patient is a referral.
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Send a thank-you note to the person who referred the
patient.
Confirm the appointment the day before.
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Slide 34
Scheduling Established Patients
In Person
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Usually done when the patient is leaving the office after
an appointment.
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Offer the patient choices in day, date, and time.
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Always offer an appointment card.
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Provide excellent customer service to the patient.
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Slide 35
Scheduling Established Patients
By Telephone
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Offer the patient a choice of day, date, and times.
Ask the patient if there have been any significant
changes in address, phone numbers, or insurance
coverage if he or she has not been to the office in a
while.
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Slide 36
Scheduling Other Types of Appointments
Inpatient Procedures
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Call the facility where the appointment is to take place.
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Provide any information requested about the patient.
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Determine what the patient should bring to the facility
when arriving for admission.
Provide all appointment details to the patient in writing,
if possible.
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Slide 37
Scheduling Other Types of Appointments
Outpatient and Inpatient Procedure Appointments
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Call the facility where the appointment is to take place.
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Provide any information requested about the patient.
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Determine what the patient should bring to the
appointment.
Provide all appointment details to the patient in writing,
if possible.
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Slide 38
Physician Orders
Some physicians give patients the orders to take with
them for inpatient and outpatient admissions.
Often, orders are written on a prescription form for
outpatient procedures and treatments.
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Slide 39
Series of Appointments
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Some patients need a series of appointments for repeat
or continued treatment.
Try to set the appointments for the same times and
days for ease of remembering.
Provide appointment cards to the patient.
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Slide 40
Series of Appointments
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Slide 41
Special Circumstances
Late Patients
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Be understanding when emergencies occur.
Make certain patients are aware of policies that affect
late patients.
Tell habitually late patients to arrive 30 minutes before
their actual appointment time.
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Slide 42
Special Circumstances
Rescheduling Canceled Appointments
Make certain to remove the original appointment before
scheduling the new appointment.
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Slide 43
Special Circumstances
Emergency Calls
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Triage the call according to policy.
First, make certain to obtain a phone number and
address where the patient is located.
Project a caring and reassuring attitude.
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Slide 44
Special Circumstances
Acutely Ill Patients
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Follow office policy in deciding whether the patient
should be scheduled for the same day.
Escort acutely ill patients directly to examination rooms
if possible on their arrival.
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Slide 45
Special Circumstances
Physician Referrals
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Honor requests for fast scheduling of patients who are
referred by other physicians if at all possible.
Obtain patient information from the referring office, if
possible.
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Slide 46
Special Circumstances
Patients without Appointments
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Follow office policy for seeing patients without
appointments.
If the patient does not need to be seen immediately,
schedule for the first available time.
Make the patient aware of the appointment policy.
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Slide 47
Special Circumstances
Failed Appointments or No-shows
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Confirm appointments according to office policy.
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Attempt to reschedule the appointment.

Make certain the patient understands the cancellation
policy.
Some offices charge patients for failed appointments if
they do not cancel within 24 to 48 hours before the
scheduled time.
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Slide 48
Other Types of Appointments

Other physicians
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Pharmaceutical representatives
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Salespersons
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Miscellaneous callers
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Slide 49
Planning for the Next Day
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Look over the appointments.
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Review the medical records of patients to be seen.

Make certain all laboratory reports and other information
is available for physician review.
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Slide 50