How To Schedule a Patient Appointment: 7 Deadly Mistakes New Physicians Make

Whether you are a new physician just out of residency or an experienced doctor looking to schedule patient appointments more efficiently, some common mistakes can easily be avoided. In this blog post, we will outline seven deadly sins of scheduling patient appointments and how to avoid them. Stay tuned!

1. Not Scheduling Enough Appointments

This is probably the most common rookie error. Many physicians schedule only 2-3 appointments per hour, which leads to long wait times and frustrated patients. A good rule of thumb is scheduling at least four patient appointments per hour especially if your office is busy.

2. Not Knowing When To Schedule Appointments

It’s easy to think that there are 24 hours in a day—and this certainly seems like plenty of time for an appointment schedule. In reality, it takes at least five minutes to properly enter a new patient into the system as well as prepare necessary documents such as HIPAA forms and insurance cards. Entering those details first will allow you to input the desired appointment date and time much faster.

3. Scheduling Appointments Too Far In Advance

You may be thinking that a patient will be happy to book the first available appointment—and you’re right! However, there are times when a patient is willing to wait for an earlier date and time because they cannot make it on the date indicated. Furthermore, scheduling out too far into the future can create issues as family members or friends of patients become ill or pass away. These events could cause patients to cancel their appointments resulting in lost revenue. 4. Not Taking Walk-Ins

Walk-In clinics have been all the rage lately with retail physicians opening up “minute clinics” at supermarkets and pharmacies across America. Although these clinics may provide quick services, they don’t generate much revenue. A good rule of thumb is to schedule regular appointments that require payment instead of accepting walk-ins.

5. Not Scheduling Emergencies or Reconstructive Procedures First

Although the majority of patients may be scheduled for preventive care, there are still those who will need to see you for emergencies and/or reconstructive procedures—oftentimes with very short notice. To avoid frustration, it is best to schedule these types of appointments first so no one has to wait longer than expected.

6. Forgetting to Schedule Triage Patients

Triage patients are those that have an illness that needs monitoring but does not necessarily require an appointment—such as earaches, pink eye, etc. While they can certainly call your office directly without setting an appointment, it is best to set aside some time for these conditions to ensure that they are not overlooked or forgotten.

7. Not Specifying the Type of Appointment (Exam vs. Wellness)

Finally, always be sure to specify whether your patient appointments are exams or wellness visits so your staff can accurately schedule patients with chronic disease and identify which patients will require certain vaccinations. Finally, remember that it is impossible to avoid scheduling mistakes completely—the key is minimizing them as much as possible!