A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PATIENT

1. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PATIENT By Kristan Cox, RMA and Brooke Weaver

2. First impression – phone greeting and setting the tone for the patient • Welcome to Central Kansas Podiatry. This is Kristan how can I help you resolve your foot care needs? • Answer the phone with a smile on your face and in your voice.

3. Phone Triage • Getting the facts • What they need to come in for – emergency vs. routine • New Patient Paperwork – mail vs website vs email

4. Initial Questions • Are you a new or existing patient? • Which office would you like your appointment at?

5. New Patient Questions • First and last name of the patient • Address • Date of birth of the patient • Phone number: home/and or best one to call to confirm appointment.

6. Insurance Questions • Primary insurance • Insurance ID number • Group number • Customer service phone number of insurance

7. Insurance questions cont. • Secondary insurance • Secondary ID number • Group # • Customer service phone number of insurance

8. Insurance questions cont. • If patient is not the card holder get the name and DOB of the card holder • Email Address • Employer • Primary Care Physician

9. Chief Complaint Questionnaire • Reason why you are coming in? • Is this a new condition from last visit? • Which foot is bothering you? • Are you diabetic?

10. Chief Complaint Questionnaire cont. • Do you have an open wound? • Is there drainage on your socks? • Is raw skin exposed?

11. Chief Complaint Questionnaire cont. • Do you have a fever? • Do your nails need trimmed? • Do you need or want to order shoes for this year?

12. Chief Complaint Questionnaire cont. • Do you have an ingrown toenail? • Is there drainage? • How long have you had this?

13. Chief Complaint Questionnaire cont. • Is it hot to the touch, red, or swollen? • Do you have a fever? • How long have you had this?

14. Chief Complaint Questionnaire cont. • Where is your pain? • Heel, arch, ball of foot • Toes? Which ones?

15. Chief Complaint Questionnaire cont. • What kind of pain do you have? • Throbbing • Dull • All day • First thing in the morning

16. Chief Complaint Questionnaire cont. • Do you have any of the following: • Warts • Corns • Calluses • How long have you had these?

17. Chief Complaint Questionnaire cont. • Are you with a doctor’s office or a referral department? • Do you have internet access to print off the new patient paperwork or can I send it in the mail to you?

19. Before the first visit • Prior to the patient arriving have someone in the office call their insurance company to verify the codes that are needed and to get basic deductible information.

20. Before the first visit • This gives the provider an idea of which direction to go on treatment

21. They’re here – now what • Entering all the data – why it’s important to get it right the first time • Collecting the Co-pay

22. Getting your room set and the patient -With information from the first call you already have an idea of what the patient is being seen for. • Have the room set up with all of the OTC items and the things the doctor may need.

25. Getting the history and physical Greet the patient with a smile and a name • Using the NLDOCAT form • Find out the Nature of the pain or problem: this will be the chief complaint. Ask what is bringing them in to see you today.

26. Getting the history and physical cont. • Location of the pain or the problem: If you could point to one spot where does it hurt the worst.

27. Getting the history and physical cont. • Duration of the pain or problem: How long have you had the pain/problem? Weeks, Months, Years, Days.

28. Getting the history and physical cont. • Onset of the pain or problem: Has there been any trauma to the area, or was the pain gradual, or sudden?

29. Getting the history and physical cont. • Characteristics of the pain or problem: Describe in your own words what the pain feels like. On a pain scale of 1-10 where do you rate your pain.

30. Getting the history and physical cont. • Things that Aggravate the pain or problem: Describe what makes the pain worse or better.

31. Getting the history and physical cont. • Treatment of the pain or problem: What have you tried for the pain/problem? OTC, PCP treatments • Take patients vitals including all pulses.

32. When are they coming back. • Re-appoint the patient – what are they coming back for, why it is important

33. If you have any further questions or would like copies of the forms mentioned feel free to email Sally Stump our marketing director at Sally@ksfootdoc.com