Scheduling medical appointments via the phone is one service we offer here at Apello. Our medical answering services can basically handle any phone-related task that would otherwise be left to in-house staff. We place a top priority on efficient appointment scheduling because we know the extent to which it impacts a practice’s day-to-day operations.
We would love for your practice to contract with us from medical answering services. Scheduling appointments would be part of the package. In the absence of paid answering services, we still want to help. So here are our tips for ensuring efficient over-the-phone appointment scheduling:
1. Prioritize Proper Training
Efficient appointment scheduling begins with team member training. In the 2020s, everything is digital. That means your team members will be using an electronic system – probably cloud based – to handle everything from scheduling appointments to following up with yesterday’s patients. Every team member should be well versed in using the system.
Not having a good handle on the software is a recipe for disaster. User error and software glitches combine to create all sorts of scheduling problems. You can’t do much about the glitches, but you can make sure that your team is properly trained.
2. Gather and Confirm Patient Information
The first step in scheduling any office appointment is gathering and confirming patient information. Agents should never blindly trust what they read on their computer screens. Everything should be verified so as to guarantee a smooth patient experience. Agents should be confirming:
- The patient’s full name
- Address and contact information
- Patient date of birth
- Health insurance information
Gathering and confirming patient information at the time an appointment is scheduled it eliminates the need to track down discrepancies later. Not only does this facilitate smoother phone calls, but it also makes life easier for medical billers.
3. Confirm Appointment Type
It is wise to confirm the appointment type before entering anything into the schedule. As you know, medical practices tend to group appointment types to facilitate efficiency. So the agent needs to know what type of appointment the patient wants in order to slot it in the best possible place.
4. Utilize a Scheduling Structure
Efficient appointment scheduling relies heavily on some sort of scheduling structure. Rather than just randomly slotting appointments, agents could utilize a time-slot scheduling model to both maximize the amount of available time during a day and reduce waiting times. Another great tool is wave scheduling, the practice of grouping similar appointment types to optimize workflow.
Of course, it is ultimately up to clinicians or their office managers to come up with the best structure. But once implemented, agents should be prepared to use the structure to its fullest extent.
5. Be as Flexible as Possible
Even with a scheduling structure in place, it helps to be as flexible as possible. Having a set of alternative days and times ready to go makes it easier to accommodate patient needs. Above all, appointments should be scheduled according to the patient’s convenience.
6. Document Everything
Most healthcare management systems allow schedulers to enter notes on a per-patient or per-appointment basis. It’s a good idea for agents to take advantage of that opportunity to document everything. From special requests to relevant notes, all the details of the phone conversation should be documented.
Scheduling appointments is a key part of the medical receptionist’s job. However, having to deal with appointments can be challenging in small offices with limited staff. We can help. At Apello, scheduling appointments is one of the many options we offer through our medical answering service. Contact us to learn more.
