Introduction to Appointment Scheduling

1. The key concept to remember in all appointment scheduling is It is to create a schedule with minimal waiting for the patient and smooth function of the office. Introduction to AppointmentScheduling

2. Guidelines for AppointmentScheduling Maintain confidentiality of the patient Speak clearly and do not appear to be rushed Concentrate on the person to whom you are speaking Avoid external and internal distractions Obtain complete information Repeat information for accuracy Schedule the proper amount of time f Document all necessary information

3. Appointment Book Methods Each physician may have his own book, section, column or page in the book Choose a format that suits the practice Pages may be set up in 10 or 15 minute intervals Appointment books are usually written in pencil Changes can be made easily in the appointment book Daily schedule is typed and used for permanent record

4. Computer Scheduling Methods Appointment intervals can be adjusted easily Each physician has a screen or column for each day Easier to change appointments or set up repeating appointments Daily appointment schedules can be printed quickly

5. Daily Appointment Schedule Used to pull medical records for patients being seen that day Official schedule is a legal document Additions in black ink No-shows and cancellations on the day of the appointment marked in red ink Posted in area inaccessible to patients or covered with a sheet of paper To protect patient confidentiality

6. Pair & Share “The Schedule” • Students pair up and share something that they learned from the presentation so far… • What did you remember or think was important? • What seemed a little confusing to you? • Any questions?

7. Time Specific Stream Scheduling Most common way to schedule appointments Steady flow of patients (like a stream) The length of time scheduled for the appointment depends on the patient’s needs – for example 30-45 minutes for a new patient 10-20 minutes for an established patient 30-45 minutes for a physical examination

8. Wave Scheduling Patients arrive in “waves” so that there is always a patient waiting Three or four patients are scheduled every half-hour Patients are seen in the order in which they arrive Sometimes ill patients are taken before those with routine appointments

9. Modified Wave Scheduling Patients are given appointments at specific times during the first half of each hour (usually longer) Several appointments One long appointment, such as physical examination Second half-hour used for wave (usually shorter) Work in patients Finish appointments from the first half-hour Schedule several rechecks on the half-hour

10. Double Booking Two patients are given the same appointment time One patient may be seen by physician while the other is having diagnostic tests performed It is a way to work in urgent patients

11. Open Booking Patients told a range of hours for their visit Used in clinics Used for urgent care before or after office hours Works best where there is a constant stream of patients Patients seen in the order in which they arrive

12. Clustering or Categorizing Scheduling patients with similar problems or conditions together Physical examinations Prenatal patients in an OB/GYN practice Patients having the same diagnostic procedure Can be an entire day or part of day

13. Pair & Share “Types of Scheduling” • Students pair up and share something that they learned from this section of the presentation … • What did you remember or think was important? • What seemed a little confusing to you? • Any questions?

14. Multiple Offices Physicians may see patients at different office locations Appointments may be booked through a central system or at each individual office If booking centrally, it is important to clarify with the patient which office they wish to visit Paper medical records may need to move from office to office

15. Setting Up the AppointmentMatrix Appointment matrix is usually set up for 6 months in advance and shows available appointment times Times when a physician is not available to see patients are blocked In a computer system, blocked times are usually a different color from available appointments Several factors that influence the appointment matrix Scheduling system or format Physician preferences and needs Facilities and equipment

16. Appointment Intervals Appointment interval is minimum time allotted for one appointment 10-minute interval 15-minute interval 20-minute interval Patient may be given more than one block of time depending on type of appointment All appointments are multiples of the basic appointment interval

17. Physician’s Preference and Needs Times are blocked from the schedule when the physician has other obligations or is not available Times are blocked for lunch, meetings, and catch-up Days are blocked for vacation, conferences, lectures, etc. Facilities and Equipment Requirements Physicians may have special needs for equipment or treatment rooms Schedules may have to be coordinated Physicians like to have at least two examination rooms available to see patients Improves efficiency and time management

18. Pair & Share “Considerations” • Students pair up and share something that they learned from this section of the presentation … • What did you remember or think was important? • What seemed a little confusing to you? • Any questions?

19. Guidelines for Scheduling Established Patients Insurance billing defines an established patient as one seen in the medical office within the past 3 years or has a current medical record Record patient name, physician, date of birth, and telephone number If a return appointment, the interval or time needed was usually indicated by the physician at the previous visit Schedule as close as possible to date specified by the physician Ask patient for day of the week and time of day that is convenient, then offer open times If patient is in the office, write patient name, date, and time of appointment on an appointment reminder card for the patient

20. Guidelines for Scheduling Special Situations If patient must have diagnostic tests, be sure they are scheduled so that results have been received before the next appointment Office may only be making appointments 6 months ahead and patient may not need to return until after that time Ask patient to call later for appointment Place patient’s name on reminder list

21. Guidelines for Scheduling New patients and Referrals Obtain complete information about a new patient Obtain referral form if patient has a referral Set aside appointment time for new patient, usually 30-45 minutes Give patient directions to office Send information according to office policy Health history form New patient brochure Make appointments for referrals as soon as possible

22. Guidelines for Scheduling non-patient appointments Pharmaceutical representatives Salespeople Usually given specific appointment times Often during lunch or another time period that has been blocked from the schedule

23. Guidelines for Changing Appointments If using appointment book, erase original appointment and enter all information in new slot Some offices may require that the information be left in the book and a line placed through the cancelled appointment If using computer schedule, use “move appointment” feature Moves all information to new slot Deletes original appointment Appointments may be changed because of change in physician’s schedule

24. Guidelines for No-Show Patients No-shows are patients who do not keep appointments and do not call to cancel or reschedule Marked in red on the appointment schedule Failure to keep the appointment documented in the medical record No-shows usually reviewed after three occurrences May be asked to find another physician because they do not adhere to treatment plan

25. Managing Late Patients Offices usually have a policy regarding late patients If the patient telephones, he or she may be worked in on arrival Habitual latecomers may be given the last appointment of the day or told a time earlier than they are scheduled

26. Guidelines for Scheduling Walk-Ins or Same Day Patients who come into the office, without an appointment, and ask to be seen If need is urgent, physician may work patient into the schedule If need is routine, person may be offered an open appointment and told to return

27. Guidelines only!!! • These are only some of the common guidelines and may differ according to the procedures of a particular office. • Best practices are to learn the protocol for the office you are working for all of the mentioned situations.

28. Pair & Share “Guidelines” • Students pair up and share something that they learned from this section of the presentation … • What did you remember or think was important? • What seemed a little confusing to you? • Any questions?