CHAPTER 10 SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS Establishing Priorities Methods Advance Preparation Reported by Leasa Foulk, Amy Hanson, Zach Heuer, Erica Hochstetler, Mary Kramer and Melissa Traiser

Introduction Appointment scheduling is the process that determines which patients the physician sees, dates and times of appointments, and time allotted to each patient. Time management involves the reality that unforeseen interruptions/delays happen. Efficient appointment scheduling is one of the most important factors of a successful practice.

The Purpose of Establishing Priorities for Appointment Scheduling Complaints that money spent does not correspond with amount of physician’s time spent with them Patient must feel confident that physician takes time to understand concerns Well-planned scheduling and adherence to schedule allows physician to provide time patient requires

Using Established Priorities for Appointment Scheduling Four factors must be considered in scheduling: The patient’s needs The physician’s preferences and habits The facilities available The duration of office visits

Patient Need The office must consider the socioeconomic status – relating to a combination of social and economic factors when determining hours and appointment times: Office in busy metro or rural agricultural community Age of patient Types of patients seen Evening/weekend appointments essential

Scheduling around school/work After these elements have been considered, the scheduler must allot time based on the patient’s needs for each individual office visit. These needs can be assessed by determining the following: Scheduling around school/work Staff member assisting or physician needed for entire appointment Purpose Age Issues driving after dark The office should make every attempt to meet the patient’s needs while balancing the physician’s preferences and availability

Using Established Priorities for Appointment Scheduling The person scheduling appointments must consider the preferences and habits of the physicians in the practice before establishing and implementing a scheduling plan The schedule must be adjusted for physician’s personality Compromise so that the schedule is workable Prompt physician to stay with schedule Individualized to the specific practice

Physician Preferences and Habits Ask the following questions: Packed reception area or concerned if one patient kept waiting?? Is the physician conscientious about being available when patient appointments are scheduled to begin? 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 each one or schedule more patients each day?

Physician Preferences and Habits All of these preferences and habits become an integral part of the scheduling process Integral - essential Keep in mind that the physician cannot spend every moment of the day with patients. The physician also has phone calls to make and receive, reports to examine and dictate, meetings to attend, mail to answer, and many other business responsibilities.

Available Facilities Getting a patient into the office at a time when no facilities are available for the services needed is pointless As the medical assistant gains proficiency in scheduling, it becomes easier to pair patient needs with the available facilities according to the physician’s preference Major equipment frequently used or a certain room with such equipment may need its own scheduling column in the appointment book or software system Proficiency - competency as a result of training or practice

Duration of Office Visits The medical assistant who performs scheduling duties must know the amount of time required for various office visits and procedures The time blocks are important, because of the physician’s reimbursement from insurance companies is based partly on the time requirements of the procedure of office visit. Reimbursement – payment of benefits to the physician for services rendered according to the guidelines of the third-party payer.

Methods of Appointment Scheduling The two most common methods of scheduling are Computized Scheduling and Appointment Book Scheduling

Computerized Appointments Computer programs: Length/type of appointment required Day/time preferences Keep track of future appointments Print out physician’s daily schedule Can be accessed by more than one person at a time

Appointment Book Scheduling In some facilities, employees keep an appointment book as a backup to computer scheduling Can show entire week at a glance Color coded, with special color used for each weekday Multiple columns available to correspond with number of physicians in a group practice

Reduce number of calls to office Self-Scheduling – Method that allows patients to view facility schedule, select and make appointment Pros: Reduce number of calls to office Available 24 hours/day Email reminders No more waiting on hold for scheduler Cons: Requires minimal computer skills Patient may object to having their name anywhere on the internet

Advance Preparation – sometimes called establishing a matrix Block out time slots when the physician routinely isn’t available to see patients days off, holidays, lunch or dinner breaks, time for hospital rounds, and meetings. Note the reason for why the time is blocked off. Always try to account for every time period in each day.

From the office of Beth Heuer, Radiology Department Administrative Assistant – Northfield Hospital Being prepared is very important in the medical field and doing things in advance makes the job easier and less stressful. Prepare the daily schedule, hand out preps, and work closely with radiologists. Main goal is to have an accurate schedule by the end of the day for tomorrow. Making notes on the computer about patients and their procedures that might help with the exam. Verifying the patient’s appointment time is correct and to allow enough time for the exam to be done. Patient’s really appreciate it if they get in AND out of the hospital on time. Some exams (MRI’s & CT’s) need to be approved by the insurance companies. Reminder phone calls to patients to help decrease no shows. All of this preparation lessens the chances for errors and it increases the overall customer satisfaction.

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