Chapter 25 Scheduling Appointments

Streaming

Appointments are scheduled for a particular amount of time based on patient need. This type of scheduling is designed to keep a continuous flow of patients coming through the office.

Blood Pressure Check

BP

Advantages of Single Booking

Enables the provider to focus on one patient and thoroughly assess complaints.

Disadvantages of Wave Scheduling

Excessive downtime when the last half hour is not needed and patients do not present. A lag in the schedule can adversely affect the flow of the office by altering workflow tempo

Disadvantages of walk-in/open hours

If a patient's complaint is more complex, or several patients succumb to the same problem, it can overwhelm available personnel and resources.

Disadvantages of Double-booking

If a problem arises with one patient, it can delay the evaluation of the other, causing the rest of the schedule to get behind.

Disadvantages of Clustering

If one visit gets offtrack or requires more time than anticipated, it can throw the appointment flow offtrack. Focusing on categorized complaints might not leave opportunities to individualize evaluations.

Walk-in/Open Hours

No scheduled appointment. Patients sign in upon arrival and are seen by the provider in that order.

Advantages of walk-in/open hours

Offers patients an opportunity to present for complaints that have an unexpected onset.

Wave Scheduling

Patients are scheduled during the first 30 minutes of each hour, leaving the last 30 minutes for same day appointments

Advantages of Double-booking

Processing two patients at the same time may be more time efficient, enabling the provider to see one patient while waiting for a result on the other.

Advantages of Wave Scheduling

Provides ample time for unexpected visits and staff to keep up with charting, filing, and other tasks and preparing for the next visit in the second half hour. Most effective use might be seasonal, as in flu season or periods where large special events are taking place in the area

Modified wave

Scheduled the similarly to another scheduling method but with the exception of scheduling patients within the last 30 minutes at 10 to 20 minute intervals

Clustering

Scheduling patients for specific type of visits or procedures at specific times

Advantages of Clustering

Streamlines evaluations of patients with similar complaints. Visit paperwork can be prepared in batches ahead of time. Unnecessary personnel can focus on other tasks during cluster visits.

Double-booking

The same appointment time is given to two or more patients

Single Booking

Used when an appointment for a patient will take a longer period of time. Single-booking means a single patient is booked for a specific amount of time.

Disadvantages of Streaming

When an unexpected problem presents and sufficient time has not been allotted, subsequent visits may be delayed

Disadvantages of Single Booking

When patients' problems are straightforward and easily addressed, this method might leave gaps in the schedule that could otherwise be used more efficiently to see other patients or perform needed ancillary tasks

Advantages of Streaming

When used well, may keep a steady flow of patients with the most effective use of time slots.

Advantages of Modified Wave

added benefit of seeing more patients in the same allotted time period

c/o

complains of

CPE

complete physical exam

N/S

no show

pt

patient

PT

physical therapy

re

recheck

ref

referral

RS

reschedule

Disadvantages of Modified Wave

scheduling more patients in a given period can contribute to a backup when patients are late, providers delayed, or other unexpected events arise