1. Patient Scheduling
Chapter 13
ICBS 120

2. A common patient complaint is the time spent waiting in the reception area.
Scheduling an appointment may be the first contact patients have with the medical office.
They remember and value the treatment they receive from the time of first contact.

3. Types of Scheduling Systems
There are a number of methods for patient scheduling.
Most offices will utilize a computerized appointment scheduling system.
The best method for a practice is the one that effects good patient flow and proper utilization of staff and physical facilities.

4. Open Hours
In open hours scheduling patients are seen throughout a particular time frame.
Patients sign in and are seen on a first-come, first-served basis.
Emergency rooms and urgent care clinic frequently use this method.

5. Double Booking
With the double booking method, two or more patients are given a particular appointment time.
This method is limited to a practice where patients can be attended to more than one at a time.
Some patients seen by staff (MA, PA, NP) while physician sees other patient.

6. Clustering Patients with similar problems are booked consecutively
common for obstetricians and pediatricians
A block of time, either hours or days of the week are set aside for particular types of cases.

7. Wave Patients are scheduled in first half hour of each hour
Requires personnel who can triage patient problems precisely when establishing appointments
Can accommodate walk-in appointments

8. Modified Wave
In the modified wave method, two or three patients are scheduled at the beginning of each hour, followed by single appointments every minutes for the rest of hour
major time consuming patients would be at the beginning of the hour (new patients)
minor problems would be from 20 minutes past to 30 past (follow-ups, bandage changes, other minor procedures)

9. Stream
Stream scheduling is perhaps the best known and most widely used scheduling system.
Each patient is assigned a specific time.
Procedures in place for length of appointment based on needs of patient and type of appointment

10. Practice-based Customized systems to fit needs of medical office
The practice determines the schedule
Some practices use a variety of systems

11. Appointment Books as Legal Documents
Appointment books should be considered legal documents and treated accordingly.
Appointments should be “color coded” to allow easy identification of patient attendance (if using paper scheduling)
Red: No-show
Blue: Rescheduled patient
Green: Patient showed for appointment
Black: Patient canceled, but did not reschedule

12. Commonly scheduled visits
New patients…………………30 minutes
Patient for consultation………45 minutes
Complete physical exams……45 minutes
all other………………………15 minutes