Scheduling and Appointments

Jeff Steele, LDO, ABOC, CPOT

Spokane Community College

Objectives

List basic rules for appointment book entries Describe modified wave scheduling Discuss functions of daily schedule Demonstrate making appointment book

entries and completing appointment card entries

Overview

There was a time when a crowded reception room was a sign of a busy doctor and successful practice

Today, this is no longer true, as today’s patient’s are no longer willing to wait endlessly

For most patients 15 minutes is the maximum acceptable wait!

Start and finish ON TIME!

Appointment Book

Although the appointment book is the control center of the practice, it is important that the practice be controlled through it- but not by it!

In today’s practice, most appointment books are computerized, making it easier and faster to:

Search for available time Look up appointments in response to an inquiry Generate and revise a printed daily schedule

Essential Information

The following must be included w/ every appointment made:

Patient’s full name Telephone numbers at home and work Reason for visit, which will help to determine

how long the appointment will last as well as to what extent the doctor’s and technician’s time will be involved

Effective Scheduling

Effective appointment scheduling assures a smooth flow of patients so that all staff members can work efficiently and at a maximum productivity without being rushed or falling behind

Effective scheduling is based on knowing what is to be done and how long it is expected to take

Classification

One way to effectively schedule is to classify appointments into three groups:

1. Long time-consuming procedures (visual field testing, contact lens training)

2. Intermediate procedures (most routine examinations)

3. Brief procedures (contact lens checks)

Modified Wave Scheduling

This system controls patient flow based on the average number of patients that the doctor sees per hour (this can be determined by tracking the # of patients typically seen from past appointment books)

This number is divided by the number of hours worked, resulting in an average number of patients the doctor sees per hour:

½ scheduled at the beginning of the hour Of the remaining patients, 2/3 scheduled at 20

minutes past the hour and the remaining 1/3 at forty past the hour

The First Wave

At the top of the hour, one patient of each category is typically schedule

1 long term procedure 1 intermediate procedure 1 quick procedure

The doctor can typically work with the quick procedure patient while the techs prepare the other two

The Second Wave

Schedule an intermediate and brief procedure

While the intermediate procedure is being prepared, the brief procedure patient can be seen

The Third Wave

A brief patient is scheduled, so the patient’s a cleared out by the top of the hour and a new wave can begin

Example: 8:00 Mr. Jones for visual field testing (long) 8:00 Mrs. Smith for annual exam (inter) 8:00 Mrs. Marks for contact check (brief) 8:20 Mr. Howard diabetes follow-up exam (inter) 8:20 Miss Byrd for Rx check (brief) 8:40 Mrs. Meyer for contact check (brief)

Confirmation Calls

One of the biggest obstacles to scheduling is a patient who fails to keep their appointment

It is an excellent to confirm their appointment with a complimentary confirmation call the day or two before their appointment

It should be noted on the schedule

that the appointment was confirmed

Advance Appointment Preparation

Prior to the patient’s arrival, their files should be pulled, including all necessary forms and paperwork, so the patient can be seen right away

It is usually best to store the files in the order the patient will be seen

Changed Appointments

An office the consistently runs behind, is discourteous to the patients. If patient’s are consistently seen late, expect them to begin arriving late (assuming they continue to arrive at all!)

For chronically late patients, inform them their appointment is15 minutes prior to its actual scheduled time!

Cancelled/Broken Appointments

When a patient calls to cancel an appointment, make every effort to reschedule them for another time, as soon as possible

It is often asked that you keep a cancellation list, or log, tracking the patient’s that have cancelled their appointments

Broken appointments should also be contacted and rescheduled ASAP