subject: Medical Billing- Patient Centered Scheduling [print this page] The healthcare consumer of today seeks convenience. It's almost as important as price. Patients realize healthcare choices abound. And in those choices they're seeking the same access (immediate) and ease (of doing business) they receive with other services.
Keeping in mind that national statistics suggest that 75% of patients want an appointment on the same day, five objectives for a sound scheduling system are:
Allow same day appointments to patients who want them
Improve efficiency with a steady patient flow
Reduce no shows
Improve patient loyalty
Get maximum use (and revenues) from available hours
As demographic trends shift toward less profitable case mixes and more choices, patient and physician relations count. As the patient takes center stage, how can your scheduling system keep him there and in your office?
Medical Office Patient Scheduling System
A good medical office patient scheduling system helps create a manageable, consistent patient flow into the office. It needs to work to make patient traffic predictable and efficient to ensure a good revenue stream as well as patient satisfaction
Patient scheduling software usually is part of a medical practice software suite that may also include electronic medical records (EMR) and medical billing.
A typical system provides an intuitive calendar capable of multiple physician views on one screen. Modern systems also use the internet to provide email confirmations and reminders.
Patient Access Scheduling Option
While this may seem risky at first, it can work well in many cases. In fact, it's similar to making an online restaurant reservation.
For example, take a person being treated for arthritis pain. The patient would complete a profile which details the treatment he/she is receiving to treat the arthritis (therapy, cortisone shots, etc).
The patient would then get a password to enter the scheduling system. After entering, the doctor is located. The system indicates the different facilities the doctor works in.
The patient can't see specific data, of course, but they can see the times the doctor is available and not available. The patient selects a time and reason for visit. A confirmation arrives in the email and that's it.
The benefits of patient access scheduling include:
- Improved patient satisfaction with the ability to select the best location and time that fits into their own schedule
- The ability for the office to market targeted promotions
- Reduced no-shows- the bane of any doctor's office
- Reduced staff time in taking calls and checking databases
At all times, the doctor's office maintains the ultimate control of the patient flow. While patient access may not be for every office, it might be worth considering for some practices or situations.
