What are the most common scheduling mistakes that can negatively impact your practice?

Agendas lotadas podem ser tanto aliadas quanto inimigas da produtividade. O fen?meno conhecido como overbooking ocorre quando a programa??o está t?o repleta de compromissos que o tempo se torna escasso e a qualidade do trabalho pode ser comprometida. Por outro lado, o underbooking, ou subagendamento, acontece quando há lacunas significativas na agenda, resultando em períodos ociosos que poderiam ser mais bem aproveitados. Encontrar o equilíbrio certo é crucial.

Some common scheduling mistakes that can negatively impact practice management include overbooking, understaffing, and inefficient scheduling processes. Overbooking can lead to delays and patient dissatisfaction, while understaffing can result in burnout and decreased productivity. Inefficient scheduling processes can lead to scheduling conflicts, missed appointments, and lost revenue.

some patients come in with multiple issues and expect the doctor to see all the issues in one consultation visit. This leads to delays and the next patient is kept on waiting, while the doctor gets paid only for one consultation. To avoid this, the front desk should proactively ask the patient how many issues they intent to see the doctor for. This way we can manage the time more efficiently and provide good service to all patients.

Common mistakes of scheduling include not allowing enough time for visits and too much for others, scheduling patients who are out of network, and not sending appointment reminders.

Pay attention to services that take a lot of time vs those that don't. Novice schedulers won't always recognize this. It starts with the doctor, whose responsibility it is to effectively communicate what a patient is scheduling for, before that patient schedules, and ensure anyone who looks at that patient's chart knows exactly what's next.

Confirmations/Reminders are keys to keeping your schedule from falling apart. -Be consistent -If you don't reach the client, try again! Be sure you have a firm cancellation / broken appointment policy that you enforce. If you allow patients to cancel reschedule without proper notice, they won't see the value in your services because you are not showing them your services have value. -Note: make sure your cancellation / broken appointment policy complies with any insurance carriers / plans you may be contracted with.

Phones have become obsolete. We've had to pursue HIPAA approved texting programs to maintain contact with our patients. It appears telemedicine is here to stay so we've also had to adapt to continue to provide both options to our patients.

One thing I've found helpful in addition to automating appointment reminders is to incorporate this responsibility into the employees KPIs. Setting acceptable no show metrics allows the employee to own this process and adds accountability for the results.

Patients who are late to or miss an appointment for a legitimate reason will be upset when confronted with a cancellation fees,and your patient retention could take a hit. A better way to deal with late and no-show patients is to do all you can to keep them from missing their appointment. Try sending all patients email and SMS confirmations and reminders to help keep their appointments top-of-mind. Surveys show that 65% of patients want to receive appointment reminders via text message. Another idea is to offer patients the ability to schedule and reschedule appointments online, so they don’t have to call the office during business hours, and they can be proactive about rebooking.

Accidents happen and sometimes there are alarm bells that go off at work. It's crucial to be responsive when emergencies and urgencies do arise and here's why -- 1. It's a great way to maintain business continuity 2. Your clients and relationships will appreciate your help and hard work 3. It proves your adaptability & flexibility 4. It helps mitigate risk and further issues. This is especially critical in industries where time-sensitive decisions impact outcomes and successes. 5. Prevents escalation of issues by solving the problem immediately.

As we all have been patients ourselves I think a pleasant and caring voice can be felt over the phone. If you make your patient feel cared for by answering their questions in an efficient way and try and help them with a time that accommodates them, they will continue their report with your office and recommend your place to family & friends. Word of mouth is the best marketing ??Smile you can tell over the phone.

In practice management, blocking time for self-care, like breaks and lunch, is vital. Schedule short breaks throughout the day to reduce stress and improve focus. These should be times to step away and relax, even briefly. Ensure a proper lunch break, preferably away from your workspace, to mentally recharge. Additionally, allocate time weekly or monthly for personal care or hobbies, aiding in long-term stress management. Consistently setting aside these periods in your diary underscores their importance and supports a sustainable work-life balance, enhancing both personal well-being and overall practice efficiency.

After all, as much as every physician/surgeon wants to be "Superman", the fact is that sometimes it's simply not possible to get everything done! Taking even the most basic amounts of time for yourself shouldn't be what gets left off the calendar every day – so even if it means putting fifteen minutes for "yourself" into your daily schedule, good time management tips for doctors start with prioritizing your own well being :-) One way to get more done in less time is to build great habits – things like flagging actionable emails for your to-do list as soon as you get into the clinic, or going through your calendar while you have your morning coffee can all be ways to make time-saving tasks second nature.

The burn out is real! Blocking time for yourself is a critical skill that we all should be working on. A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association reported "Nearly 3 in 5 employees reported negative impacts of work-related stress, including lack of interest, motivation, or energy (26%) and lack of effort at work (19%). Meanwhile, 36% reported cognitive weariness, 32% emotional exhaustion, and an astounding 44% reported physical fatigue—a 38% increase since 2019." By making time for ourselves, we're able to avoid issues with burnout, reduced productivity, decreased job satisfaction, and overall poor mental health. Taking time to recharge gives us the opportunity to return to work with a clear mind and renewed energy!

I once heard from a dentist that her schedule is so jam-packed that she never gets to actual have a proper lunch and just resorts to taking a few bites in between patients. A huge contributor to her burnout and quitting. The practice owner prioritized revenue over treating his team decently. There needs to be a balance.

While providers generally have an idea of how they prefer their schedule to be set up, it is important to remind them to review it annually or biannually depending on the need. Patient expectations should be considered when building a schedule.

Effective communication is at the center of all strong relationships. Maintaining an organized calendar is a great way to minimize conflicts, prevent overcommitment, and focus on communicating effectively with the people who matter most.

I suggest that the appointment schedule be reviewed at least a week before and then again, the day before. This will allow for any changes to be considered/implemented without causing too much inconvenience to both the patient and the practice. It will also avoid any financial loss if a no show patient is a new patient or a procedure patient. Confirming appointments also gives the practice an opportunity to remind patients about their account balances and to get their insurance coverage updated and verified before the day of appointment.

If there is no constant feedback from staff or patients/clients then we are not identifying the issues and not addressing them. We are not growing either if we don’t obtain comments (good or bad) from them and certainly can’t improve if we don’t know what to improve.

Insurance status and eligibility. For our speciality there are various plans as well as specific eligibility for exams and material benefits. The worst thing that happens is scheduling a patient who isn’t eligible or has insurance we don’t take.

Scheduling patients needs to be overhauled and begin to use the same model that the airlines use to book seats. Patients are willing to pay for convenience and for the right time that fits into their schedule. Think of the time you would prefer to pay for the colonoscopy first thing in the morning. This empowers patients to pick the time that is right for them rather than forcing them into the providers schedule. This also provides a new revenue stream for providers while still giving patients the option to not have to pay for optimal slots. Another benefit is that using AI to balance the load you begin to smooth out the schedule. Patient empowerment - what a novel idea.

Ultimately the goal is to match the right patient with the right provider initially, enhancing outcomes, patient satisfaction, and schedule efficiency. Regularly reviewing and optimizing scheduling decision trees to achieve this at the first appointment is key. While limited capacity may require providers to see a broader range of patients, maintaining flexibility is crucial to avoid patient delays. Regular reviews and optimizations of these guidelines are essential for effective patient care and operational efficiency. Additionally, providers schedules should be reviewed frequently to identify patterns of slots that aren’t booking and areas for bottlenecks so you can optimize capacity and the providers time with smoother flow.

Assigning employees non-scheduling tasks, and operating without appropriate metrics to measure productivity and patient satisfaction. Thereby resulting in understaffing, employee dissatisfaction, and patient satisfaction results opposite from desired success.