MFO Scheduling Systems

Purpose of Scheduling Systems Smooth flow of patient traffic Maximize resource and staff Minimize patient waiting

How to Choose a System? Type of practice Time Management Preference of the Provider Age of Patients Accommodate – Emergencies – Walk-Ins – Cancellations – No-Shows – Late arrivals

Streaming Allocate a standard unit of time, e.g. 15- minute blocks Allocate 1 to 3 time-units depending on type of visit. For example: – New Patient: 2 units – Consultation: 3 units – Complete Physical Exam: 3 units – Minor Illness: 1 unit

Pros & Cons of Streaming Simple to schedule and manage Less efficient – staff idling (but staff like it to use the time catching up paperwork and etc.) Work well with give-and-take, e.g. some procedure may take 20 instead of 15 minutes while some other may take just 10 minutes.

Double Booking Used in practices with several staff members to work with patients. E.g. a dentist with multiple chairs Multiple patients get a same appointment time Can be very efficient, but requires careful monitoring

Clustering Same types of patients or procedures scheduled at certain time block E.g. – Physical exams in AM – Surgeries on Wednesdays – New mothers on Tuesdays at OBGYN Increased staff efficiency

Wave For a practice with several procedure rooms a large staff. Multiple patients are scheduled at the top of the hour. The first group of patients go through the process Walk-Ins and later arrivals go through in the second-half of the hour

Pros & Cons of Wave Requires precision planning Possible staff idling and staffing conflicts Long wait for patients

Modified Wave Alternate of Wave Patients who require longer time served at the top of the hour Followed by single appoints with less time requirement for each minutes in the second half E.g. a new patient are scheduled at the beginning of the hour followed by minor examination such as suture removal Walk-in and late arrivals are accommodated

Open Hours First-come, first-served Patients are seen throughout the day, e.g. emergency room

Overbooking Scheduling more patients than a physician can see within reasonable time Avoid this except emergency

Resources Contemporary Medical Office Procedures By Doris Humphrey Contemporary Medical Office Procedures By Doris Humphrey Medical Assisting By Lucille Keir, Barbara A. Wise, Connie Krebs Medical Assisting By Lucille Keir, Barbara A. Wise, Connie Krebs Great Tips For Patient Appointment Scheduling By Michael Reynard, M.D. Great Tips For Patient Appointment Scheduling By Michael Reynard, M.D.