| Three Standards for Appointment Scheduling |
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Crystal S. Reeves, CPC
The ART of successful appointment scheduling can be broken down into three standards or dimensions:
Accessibility Starting each day with all appointment slots does not serve your patients (or your practice) well. Leaving room for referrals, emerging problems, and emergencies will improve patient flow for scheduled patients as well as those who really need to be worked in.
Realistically Within reason, physicians work best when their appointment schedules fit their own practice style. Group practices should establish a minimum and maximum number of patients that the physicians are expected to see in an hour. Unrealistic scheduling hurts the practice’s standing with patients.
Timely Starting and staying on time is a big issue. Once you get behind, it is difficult to catch up. People are less tolerant today about waiting at the doctor’s office than in the past. Staying on time should be a requirement of physicians in group practice.
Institute a process for setting appointments based on these criteria to maintain steady patient flow.
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