What are the most common scheduling mistakes in medical clinics?

Overbooking New patients too close together can cause a huge burden for a Provider. New patients scheduled in slots next to each other often cause the provider to get behind since they often take longer to answer required medical questions, exam for the 1st time, and especially document for the 1st time in electronic health records. If a New or Annual patient can be scheduled at the beginning of an hour (Not the 1st hour of the day though) followed by 2 follow-up patients the provider is less likely to get behind and the entire office can run smoother all day.

Overbooking can cause long wait times and rushed consultations, leading to dissatisfaction among patients. Under booking appointments can lead to wasted resources, decreased revenue, and missed opportunities to provide care to patients who may need it. It is crucial to analyze the demand and capacity of your clinic. understand the average time required for each appointment, the availability of healthcare providers, and the workflow of the clinic.The key is to find the right balance between meeting patient demand and optimizing clinic resources. By effectively managing appointments , clinics can provide better patient experiences, ensure efficient use of staff and resources, and ultimately improve the overall functioning of the clinic.

A subsection of underbooking and overbooking is that of not scheduling the correct length of appointment time needed per the patient's medical concern. For example, if the patient is reporting symptoms that sound like a detached retina, you'd want to schedule enough time for the provider to perform those diagnostic procedures. In this example you would also want to ensure scheduling staff stays on-site until the exam of patient is complete so that surgery scheduling and other emergency prep can be accomplished. By doing so you will ensure the provider is adequately supported by staff and that the patient is able to be fully briefed on next steps, which might include post-op instructions and scheduling follow-up appointment.

Overbooking is a huge problem that providers seem to encourage. Patients hate the long wait! Providers need to periodically look over their schedules and see where the bottlenecks are occurring and educate their staff to adjust the schedule accordingly.

I agree that overbooking can lead to extreme inefficiencies. Patients are seen and moved too fast through the visit, -followup is harried, -missed emerging issues, -unhappy patients. -Frustrated staff/ providers.

Some ways to identify urgency is to screen the patient by reviewing slightly what they state there appt is for. Helping them to prioritize in their own minds will help keep that appt moving productively.

Time is of the essence in eye care with 2 urgent emergencies: 1. Retinal detachment 2. Closed angle glaucoma These 2 need prompt attention within hours!

Es muy útil esta propuesta, pero implementar un sistema de triaje para primeras citas en consultas externas conlleva tiempo y consumo de recursos, lo que no siempre está disponible. Aquí la IA puede jugar un buen papel a la hora de identificar signos de alarma definidos para cada consulta concreta.

Booking an appointment appropriately will ensure that the time and resources allotted are utilized to maximize patients and provider's time. This will lead to patient satisfaction in most cases.

This is primarily an issue of insufficient staff training. A review on the schedule and education of the scheduling staff is imperative.

When a patient states they can not do XYZ, they mean it. Please, do not try to get them to change what is set in their minds. However, do not be a push over either, look for ways to compromise and offer what you have and see if any of it aligns with their needs.

It’s imperative if the patient wants to see only Dr ? And ? Hygienist that should be flagged on there chart and if they have to wait a long time you can rec them to see someone else Bottom line they are in charge !!!

Understanding patient preferences when it comes time to scheduling seems like a relatively simple process. In order to be able provide patients with the most convenient times and days, and stay competitive, take this one step back and offer the hours that the market demands. When setting office hours, it’s not unusual to fall into the trap of allowing your employees to dictate when the office should be open when the office should be closed based on their personal availability. In order to stay competitive, start with a patient survey extended to the surrounding market to help you understand what your serviceable market needs, before you actually define what the ideal hours for your business are.

An example of this is when an eta changes, a text, email or phone call must happen. If an ETA notification is not sent the patient experience is not good.

Do not change an appt with out discussing it with all parties involved. It becomes an issue of distrust by no only the staff but even more the patient. If you need to change something due to a provider schedule, kindly call the patient explain and offer next best time/date. If they are determinded to keep the appt discuss with the provider if there is someone else who could take care of the issue. Otherwise be firm with the patient but kind and explain they will have to take another time. You may lose a patient or two but it establishes a point of respect with provider and patient. (Provided the reasoning is not frivolous)

De todos los aspectos rese?ados este es el que considero vital en cualquier caso: la comunicación entre todos los niveles y de los profesionales con los pacientes.

Another helpful KPI to track is ROVs (return office visits) or what percentage of total visits for the day, by provider, by location, received a follow up visit scheduled before they checked out. Benchmarks are going to vary by specialty.

I have found that not following up becomes a reality when there is lack of dental education towards the patient from the health provider. If the patient understand importance and phases of treatment you will engage and create a motivation in the patient. If this is something you can accomplish on re- care visit the outcome of losing a patient is highly reduced.

Underestimating the workload of a therapist is a significant issue for scheduling. A therapist's work extends beyond just the time spent with clients. Writing reports and insurance letters, locating resources, and keeping detailed case notes are all crucial aspects of their job that require a significant amount of additional time and effort. When therapists' workloads are underestimated, they may end up with insufficient time for administrative tasks, which can lead to stress and burnout, as well as longer wait times for reports and documentation. It's essential to have a system in place that ensures a balance between client needs and therapist needs to provide effective intervention and ensure client satisfaction.

It is a must to view your schedule that morning or day before . Sometimes it could be to early per insurance Very important hygienist make there patient recall appt . They know how much time they need and what is needed

Not verifying the patient’s information when scheduling the appt. There may be multiple patients with the same name and not verifying pt info could cause the wrong pt to be scheduled. I had a receptionist that made that mistake and when the patient checked in and paid their copay it was applied to the wrong patient. Thankfully it was discovered when the patient was taken to the exam room.

Not asking all the right questions at time of call. Here are 2 examples. F/U question-Has your insurance changed? N/P question- What is your current insurance?

In all of these points , one thing h That cuts across is environment impact & the lack of sustainable healthcare. Systems need stripping back , identifying the patients journey from booking to being seen or not seen & the impact. In cases where patient has been booked with the wrong clinicians i.e needs bloods but booked to see a pharmacist for medication review (though if the opportunity presents, the patient could be booked in for their bloods there & then ) otherwise Wasted & frustrating time for patient & clinician , what has patient had to cancel or put arrangements in place to make that appointment? Once frustrated patient will lose trust and potentially not come back. Times that both can not get back.

Patient Scheduling is a critical position in a Medical Practice/Clinic. It is frequently overlooked when a Practice or Clinic is looking for ways to improve productivity and profitability. Key to success is having a Scheduling process that functions as a true team member with providers and support staff and has standards and processes to follow that were adopted by the Practice/Clinic. Additionally, the providers must adhere to the standards and processes that were set in place and support the Scheduler in times of difficult situations. This is critical for both independent as well a hospital/system based Practices and Clinics.

In my experience, having inadequate buffer times is another mistake to avoid. Failing to include buffers between appointments can disrupt the flow of the clinic, causing delays and stress for both patients and staff. Buffer times allow for flexibility to accommodate urgent cases without compromising the quality of care for each patient. I worked in an orthopedic clinic where quantity appeared to be the priority (with little buffering). This model would cause delays, frustration and rushed care for patients. By expressing expectations to staff and patients about the importance of timeliness, clinical management can minimize frustration for all involved.